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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29811396">Side by Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShimmeringBubble/pseuds/ShimmeringBubble'>ShimmeringBubble</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Spider-Man (Video Games 2018-2020), Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Actual spider facts mixed in with made-up nonsense for the purpose of fluff, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Excessive amounts of hyphens, Fanart, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Huddling For Warmth, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Injury, Light Angst, Made-up stuff regarding spider-sense, Miles Morales Acts Like a Spider, Now featuring fan art!, One Word Prompts, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Whump, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Protectiveness, Self-Indulgent, Sickening Amounts of Fluff, Slice of Life, Spider traits, Spider-Bros, Spider-sense connections, Spoilers, Spoilers for both games, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Whump, prepare for cavities, probable medical inaccuracies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:47:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,003</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29811396</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShimmeringBubble/pseuds/ShimmeringBubble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Miles, Peter, and the different moments after their stories.</p><p>Or: My excuse to write one-word based prompts (sometimes) taken from a random word generator.  Expect lots of fluff, because I can’t help myself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Miles Morales &amp; Peter Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Art</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Art</b>
</p><p>Miles had a huge grin under his mask as he landed on the top of his apartment building, holding his hands out in a dramatic gesture towards the building across from it. “There it is.”</p><p>Peter landed next to him, letting out a low whistle. “Whoa. I’m seriously jealous. The best I’ve ever seen across from my apartment building was a pretty rude message regarding my mother.”</p><p>Miles laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I guess everyone’s not as thoughtful with spray-paint. Gotta say, I’m pretty lucky to live where there’s so much stuff like this.”</p><p>“So someone just decided to paint a giant, building-sized portrait of the two of us? That’s some dedication right there. Wonder how long it took?” Peter said, lenses narrowing as he zoomed in on the details. It was bright and colorful, showing both of their suits in brilliant strokes.</p><p>“Just a few days. She’s- er- they’re really talented,” Miles said.</p><p>Peter raised his brows beneath his mask, turning to glance at his apprentice with a wide smirk. “‘She’? This wouldn’t happen to he the same ‘she’ who gave you that oh-so-cozy scarf you love wearing around, would it?”</p><p>Miles flushed. “No, I mean- yes. But she didn’t paint it by herself. It was a couple of different people.”</p><p>Peter wasn’t letting this go easy, eyes dancing with mischief behind his lenses. “Uh-huh. Bet none of them gave the new, <i>heroic</i> Spider-Man a scarf, though.”</p><p>“Shut up, man,” Miles laughed, shaking his head. “It was really nice of her. She just wanted to say thank you.”</p><p>“What’s her name?” Peter asked curiously. “Have you guys talked much?”</p><p>“Yeah, you know,” Miles said, vaguely waving his hands around. “A little. Hailey...was one of the people who saw me. After. After Roxxon.” He looked away, feeling that familiar weight roll in his stomach. </p><p>“Oh,” Peter said, voice more quiet.</p><p>“We kinda knew each other before that,” Miles said quickly, focusing back on their earlier conversation. “I would see her working on her art out on the street. She happens to be Deaf, so I’m really glad I took ASL, because otherwise I would probably be even more awkward around her than I already am.”</p><p>“I didn’t know you spoke a third language,” Peter said, admiration in his voice. “Pretty dang impressive if you ask me.”</p><p>Miles shrugged. “I’m not very fluent, yet. Took a course or two a few years ago. It’s nice to use it for real, though. I think I’m getting better.”</p><p>“I’ll bet,” Peter laughed. “All that smooth talking’s probably giving you <i>lots</i> of practice.” He crossed his arms, giving the younger spider a smug look.</p><p>“What? No!” Miles insisted, feeling like his face was on fire. “We’re just— neighbors who happen to talk. And hang out sometimes. I’m not hitting on her!”</p><p>“Do you want to?” Peter asked, his teasing smile still in full force.</p><p>“No! No? Wait, no,” Miles said waving his hands frantically as Peter just laughed more.</p><p>“Very convincing answer,” he chortled.</p><p>“Hey, don’t be mean,” Miles sulked.</p><p>“Sorry,” Peter said, pulling himself together. “What I meant, though, was do you like her?”</p><p>Miles made a face under his mask. “When you put it like that, it makes it sound like I’m 12.”</p><p>“Alright, one last try: Do you have potentially romantic feelings for her?” Peter grinned.</p><p>“You just gonna laugh at me if I do?” Miles asked in a somewhat pouty voice.</p><p>“I’m just teasing you,” Peter said, his tone becoming slightly softer. “You don’t have to tell me. Not if you don’t want to.”</p><p>Miles paused, glancing at his mentor. He trusted Pete on a level that he trusted few others in his life. He also knew his mentor was taking him seriously, and <i>listening</i> to what he said, despite his jokes and teasing.</p><p> “Alright, fine. I kinda am interested in her like that,” he admitted quietly.</p><p>“Is she interested in you?” Peter asked, smiling gently under his mask.</p><p>“I don’t know. I haven’t asked,” Miles replied sheepishly.</p><p>“Does she laugh and blush a lot when you’re around?”</p><p>Miles fidgeted with his suit’s gloves. “Kinda? I think she’s just a naturally happy person, though.”</p><p>“Hmm. Maybe, or maybe she thinks a certain spider-themed hero is pretty cute,” Peter was back to the impish expressions below that mask, lenses narrowing slightly as his eyes crinkled up. “Guess you won’t know until you ask her out, though.” </p><p>“Think I should?” Miles asked, mouth twisting up in hesitation.</p><p>“Yeah,” Peter said, “It sounds like you two get along really well. I’m willing to bet she says yes. Even if it’s just a chill, friendly outing.”</p><p>Miles rolled his shoulders, taking a soft breath. “I don’t know if I even have time to go out on- outings,” he said, awkwardly avoiding the word ‘dates.’ “What with patrol and everything.”</p><p>“Hey, that’s what I’m for,” Peter said sincerely, poking Miles’ shoulder. “You ever need me to cover for you, I will do so to the best of my ability. Have some fun in life. Don’t be afraid to take some time off for yourself. That’s the joy of there being two of us.”</p><p>Miles felt a little bit more confident. “Thanks, Pete.”</p><p>“You bet,” Peter said, feeling happy at Miles’ apparent confidence boost. “Now let’s go get closer. No way are we passing up the opportunity for a selfie with that mural.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Clean</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one got away from me, but I think I like how it turned out.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Clean</b>
</p><p>“You’ve gotta be <i>really</i> careful not to scrub too hard at the tech in the gloves,” Peter said, holding his suit’s arm and carefully scrubbing down the length of it. “I’ve fried more than a few pairs doing this.”</p><p>Miles grimaced, sitting on the tiled floor next to the older spider and staring down at his own suit which bobbed languidly next to Peter’s. They were kneeling in the cramped space of Peter’s apartment bathroom, the tub filled up with lukewarm water and suds. Peter had announced that it was time for Miles to learn to wash his suit, pulling him into the bathroom and filling the tub, dumping his own suit in next to his once he was satisfied. Miles had been more than a little hesitant to just fling the suit he and Ganke had worked so hard to fabricate directly into a sudsy, discolored bathtub, but Peter had insisted that it would be fine.</p><p>Besides, his suit <i>was</i> getting kinda musty. Just wiping off the inside with a hand wipe or damp cloth hadn’t really been getting the job done.</p><p>So now here he was, elbow to elbow with Peter and feeling just a <i>bit</i> nauseated at how discolored the water was becoming.</p><p>“Hoo yeah,” Peter sighed, shaking his head as he finished with one sleeve and turned to the other. “Lots of sweat and dirt built up in this bad boy.”</p><p>“This is <i>seriously</i> how you do this? It’s— really gross,” Miles lamented, working suds into the fabric of the right leg. The black material was slick under his hands.</p><p>“Can’t put it in the washing machine,” Peter said. “So we’re doing it the way I’ve always done it. Right in the middle of the tub.” His face scrunched up as he fumbled to reach all the corners of the abdomen area, washing the interior vigorously.</p><p>“This might be why your tub’s all nasty,” Miles commented. “Pretty sure it’s not supposed to be this interesting vomit color.”</p><p>“Nah, it was like that when I got here,” Peter waved him off with a grin. “You can thank the past tenants for that. Bet they were doing much worse things than washing a glorified cosplay.”</p><p>“Ulgh, don’t even wanna think about it,” Miles made a face.</p><p>“Yep, I’ve got myself a real high end place right here,” Peter said, putting on a mock southern accent. “Finest board in the city!”</p><p>“Oh God, don’t tell me you’re being ‘Spider-Cowboy’ now,” Miles groaned. He probably should have known not to say that. He had definitely just opened a Pandora’s box of <i>more</i> terrible jokes.</p><p>It was like Peter was an infinite source for them.</p><p>“I beg your pardon?” Peter’s eyes lit up at the notion of having a new weapon at his disposal. He had a shit-eating grin, trying to hold back a laugh. “I reckon that’s rather rude, partner. Back where I come from-”</p><p>He was cut off as Miles flicked water at him. Peter’s eyes widened and he spluttered, lurching back.</p><p>“Hey! Weren’t you the one who was going on about how unhygenic this water was a minute ago?” he blustered. At least his pretend accent had slipped for a second. Miles was counting that as a win.</p><p>“Eh, I figured Spider-Cowboy wouldn’t mind,” Miles replied dryly. “What with him coming from a ranch and all.”</p><p>Peter blinked, then dipped his hand back into the tub, flicking water back at Miles. “That was uncalled for, partner!” he complained, laughing as Miles dodged out of the way.</p><p>“I’m gonna dunk your head in if you don’t stop with the accent,” Miles threatened, though the bright smile on his face told Peter he was enjoying the joke as much as he was.</p><p>“Hogwash, you city folk don’t know squat about my <i>refined</i> way of speaking,” he smirked, still persisting with the God-awful lilt. “I might need to teach you a lesson, <i>city-spider.</i> Y’know, you look like you could use a good cleaning yourself.” He waved the sleeve of his wet suit around a little for emphasis.</p><p>“No no, I’m good,” Miles laughed as Peter splashed his hand back and forth in the tub, sending him a menacingly brilliant smile.</p><p>“Yeah? I reckon I disagree. You look a little—” he splashed Miles with more water this time, making him hiss and laugh incredulously, “—dehydrated.”</p><p>Miles, of course, reciprocated, grimacing as the two engaged in the incredibly childish game. Peter eventually yielded when he realized they had started to slosh water out of the tub, holding his hands up in defeat and proclaiming that spider-cowboy surrendered.</p><p>“He’ll live to ride another day, though,” he stated, pointing at Miles and placing a soapy hand over his heart with mock determination in his eyes.</p><p>“Let’s hope it’s not when I’m around,” Miles sighed, grimacing at his damp clothing. They had kind of gotten carried away.</p><p>“Oh, you can bet he’ll be back for the ‘city-spider’,” Peter laughed. “They’re mortal enemies now.”</p><p>Miles just shook his head at his shenanigans, although he wasn’t quite able to erase the smile that persisted on his face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Seeing Peter bother Yuri and MJ about being ‘Spider-Cop’ and ‘Arachknight’ respectively (the second one was in the ‘Velocity’ tie-in comic) just affirms my belief that he would totally bother Miles with a terrible pretend act too lmao</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tremble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>By the way, I should probably mention that I only used the words I saw potential for in the word generator. So yeah. Not quite as random as it should be, but here we are.</p><p>Enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Tremble</b>
</p><p>Peter bit his lip, trying to steady his breathing as he leaned against the crumbling brickwork of the roof he had just landed on. He was really letting his emotions get the better of him right now.</p><p>Everything was fine. No one was in danger right now. <i>He</i> was fine.</p><p>He stared down at his hands, willing them to steady. They insisted on keeping a subtle shake, trembling in the dim light cast by the city. Oh God, why wouldn’t they just <i>steady—</i></p><p>“Pete?” Miles was suddenly next to him, mask still in place. His lenses were focused on his mentor’s masked face, still a little out of breath from the action they had just been through.</p><p>“Hey,” Peter managed to croak out, though his voice sounded broken to his own ears. “Just resting for a sec.”</p><p>“Oh,” Miles said, and he could definitely hear the concern in his voice. “You wanna sit down?”</p><p>Peter drew in a shaky breath, trying to still himself. He shouldn’t look this weak. It had just been one body. He shouldn’t be this broken up about it.</p><p>Except it hadn’t just been any body, it had been a middle-aged man with messy, graying brown hair and blank blue eyes, just like <i>his</i> had been—</p><p>He barely held back a gasp as Miles’ hand ever-so-gently touched his shoulder. “Sit,” was all he said, putting a little pressure on Peter’s shoulder, and that was all it took for him to crumple into a kneeling position, panting softly.</p><p>“Head between your knees,” Miles said, sounding efficient and firm. He gently pushed Peter to sit on his butt, laying a hand against the back of his neck as he bowed his head.</p><p>Miles wasn’t really sure if he should keep his hand on Peter or not, so he went to pull it away, but blinked in surprise when his mentor laid one of his own hands carefully over his. Miles didn’t move, kneeling next to his friend as he caught his breath.</p><p>Peter shut his eyes, trying to only focus on the gentle warmth coming from Miles’ hand. The sounds of the city around them were threatening to overwhelm him, growing louder by the second. He exhaled sharply, and did his best to tune his hearing in on only the sounds directly around him.</p><p>There was a pigeon fidgeting about in its nest on one of the ledges below. There was what sounded like a tarp occasionally flapping into something metal.</p><p>There was his own ragged breathing and shaking hands, memories of pain and failure whispering in the back of his mind.</p><p>Then there was Miles’ intentionally steadying breath, because he probably knew Peter would be a little too sensitive to sound right now.</p><p><i>That</i> was what Peter honed in on, a small bit of relief gripping him. His friend’s deep, careful inhales and exhales, and the soft heartbeat underneath.</p><p>It was quiet and <i>steady.</i></p><p>After listening for a few moments and trying to mimic his deep breaths, he managed to speak.</p><p>“Miles, I’m sorry,” he whispered, lenses sliding shut as his hand tightened around his. “I shouldn’t be freaking out like this.”</p><p>“It’s ok,” Miles said quietly, his voice gentle. “Take your time. We’re in no rush.”</p><p>“I just— I <i>saw</i> him,” Peter breathed, squeezing his eyes shut tightly against the tears that tried to well up within them. “That man that died, the one I couldn’t save— he looked just like him.”</p><p>Miles’ hand slid down to rub gentle circles on Peter’s back, his other one coming up to pull Peter’s now empty hand down. He brought it nearer to him, holding it close to his own heart.</p><p> “I’m sorry,” he murmured softly. “It wasn’t your fault. He had already passed long before we got there. There wasn’t anything we could do.” Miles had only seen the police quickly covering a prone figure with a blanket. He hadn’t seen the body. Knowing his mentor’s painful history of loss, though, he could probably guess who Peter was talking about.</p><p>“I know,” Peter whispered hoarsely. “It just made me feel like I was there again.”</p><p>Miles wasn’t sure what else to say, unable to do anything but hold Peter’s hand and trace gentle circles into his back. He could feel slight trembles running through the other spider, a sad frown under his mask as he witnessed Peter’s pain. His trembles gradually started to lessen after a little bit. Eventually, his breathing began to even out, and he sat up, shaking his head and letting out what sounded suspiciously like a sniffle.</p><p>“Pretty sure the mentor isn’t supposed to have  a mental breakdown on the mentee,” he laughed weakly.</p><p>“Don’t you worry about that,” Miles scolded. “I’m here for you, man. Just like you’re here for me.”</p><p>Peter nodded, locking his hand briefly around Miles’ before pulling away, standing to his feet. Miles stood too, studying the older spider for any more signs of distress.</p><p>“You ok to swing?” he asked.</p><p>“Yeah,” Peter replied, nodding. “Thank you. I’m sorry, again.”</p><p>“No more apologies,” Miles insisted adamantly. “Spiders have to stick together, no matter what.”</p><p>Peter let out a soft, slightly wet chuckle at that. “Right. Stick together.”</p><p>Miles offered his fist, and he bumped it affectionately, feeling his tears dry beneath his mask in face of the light Miles always seemed to bring with him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Bloody</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Brief mention of blood and injury. Also mentions stitches, but I didn’t describe anything in that regard.</p><p>Enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Bloody</b>
</p><p>Peter scowled at the soggy pasta in his bowl, flipping a noodle over with his fork as he sat down on the couch. It was a rare moment of peace for him, so he had decided to try his hand at making Lo Mein. Somehow, though, the noodles had come out too soggy, and the vegetables too firm. It was kind of a gross combination.</p><p>He pulled out his phone to text MJ, feeling a small pang at the thought that he wouldn’t be seeing her soon. She was still traveling, her stay in Symkaria motivating her to expand her reporting horizons further.</p><p>He was glad she was branching out and flourishing in her career, but he couldn’t help but miss her.</p><p>Before he could hit send on his text, his spider-sense twitched and there was the sound of someone tapping on his window.</p><p>Peter stood up, pulling the window open and blinking in surprise as Miles’ lenses came into view. “Hey, wasn’t expecting to see you tonight,” he said, smiling. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was <i>wrong,</i> though, and he found himself proven correct with Miles’ answer.</p><p>”Hey, I kinda, um, have a problem,” Miles said, his hand slipping as he tried to grab the windowsill. Peter quickly shot his own hand out to give Miles something to hold onto as he awkwardly stumbled through the window. “Sorry, sorry,” he gasped, pulling himself to stand on shaky legs. “I didn’t think I could go home, not like this, and I don’t know how to- you know. Clean myself up, because it’s my back-“</p><p>Peter’s eyes widened and he immediately pulled Miles so that his back was facing him. He cursed, looking in horror at the gash that stretched between Miles’ shoulder blades. It was steadily leaking dark red onto the black of his suit, some of it already dried on.</p><p>”Ok, bathroom, stat,” Peter said, taking Miles’ wrist and leading him toward the indicated room, flicking on the light and washing his hands swiftly. “Sit on the toilet, back towards me,” he instructed, forcing himself to go into ‘strict mentor’ mode. (Well, more like ‘careful mentor’ mode. He had never exactly <i>been</i> a strict mentor.)  </p><p>Miles did as he asked, biting his lip anxiously. “I’m so sorry to bother you with this,” he said, a hint of shakiness to his voice. “It just kinda happened, and I wasn’t really sure what to do.”</p><p>”You did the right thing coming here,” Peter reassured immediately, swiftly yanking his med kit from out of the cabinet.</p><p>The next five minutes consisted of trying to carefully peel Miles’ damaged suit away in a method that would not exacerbate the injury more. Once they had gotten it rolled down to his waist, Peter immediately pressed a thick wad of gauze onto the wound, wincing sympathetically as Miles bit back a groan.</p><p>”This’ll be fine,” Peter assured him, applying even pressure for a moment until he was satisfied the bleeding had been slowed enough. “It’s gonna need stitches, but I’ve got you covered. Just try to breathe.”</p><p>Miles nodded slightly, squeezing his eyes shut. “Thanks,” he hissed, shivering slightly as his exhaustion and pain caught up to him. He tried not to think about the current situation, instead trying to ground himself in the sensations other than his pain. He focused on Peter, and that strange sense of familiarity that pulled at his senses whenever he was near.</p><p>”Ok, I’m going to clean and sterilize it,” Peter said, grabbing the bottle of disinfectant and pulling the cap off with his teeth. “It’ll probably sting. You want a count down?”</p><p>Miles let out a humorless laugh, leaving his eyes shut. “Surprise me,” he said, bracing himself for the pain.</p><p>Peter said nothing, and Miles bit back a yelp as he suddenly felt the cold, stinging harshness of the liquid being rubbed through his wound. His mentor placed a steadying hand on his ribcage, partially to ensure that he stayed still, partially to provide some reassurance.</p><p>”Ok, done,” Peter said, after what felt like an eternity of having the terrible liquid rubbed through the bloody gash. “Just need to finish it up and wrap it.” He turned, washing his hands again and dumping the gauze in the garbage can. He glanced back at Miles as he rifled through the kit for a needle. “You ok?”</p><p>”Yeah,” Miles replied, his voice coming out weaker than he intended it to. “Just a little tired.”</p><p>”You did lose a lot of blood. Not enough to be super concerning, though,” Peter reassured him, carefully threading the needle and laying his hand back on Miles’ back. “I’m almost done. You can have a lie down in a little bit after this.”</p><p>”Ok,” Miles mumbled, holding back a flinch as Peter began to stitch up the wound. He reached out to the sensation in the back of his mind, close to where his spider-sense lived, trying to ground himself in the reassurance he felt from it. Sometimes it even felt like it was reaching back.</p><p>Damn, maybe he was hallucinating from blood loss.</p><p>”And done,” Peter said, cutting the thread and setting the supplies aside. “I’ll wrap this up and you should be good to go. I designed the thread myself,” he continued, finding the bandaging and carefully unwinding the roll. “It dissolves way faster than normal thread would, to make up for our faster healing process. No worries about removing stitches the next morning.”</p><p>He set aside the roll and grabbed a washcloth, running it under some warm water and beginning to wipe off the area below the wound that hadn’t needed to be disinfected.</p><p>Miles allowed himself to relax a little, feeling Peter clean off the dried blood with tender ministrations. If he hadn’t still felt the pain from the now-closed wound, it might have been enough to make him doze off a little.</p><p>”How’d it happen?” Peter murmured softly, seeming to notice Miles’ subdued strength. He always seemed to pick up on even the subtlest of cues like that.</p><p>”Mugger in an alley,” Miles replied, blinking his eyes open as Peter finished cleaning off his skin, giving it a moment to dry while he finished unwinding the bandaging. “It was between the victim getting hit or me, so the choice was pretty obvious.”</p><p>”Those kinds of decisions are never easy. I’m not going to tell you you did the right thing, because that would be implying that using yourself as a human shield was fine. But, it’s also something I would do, so I shouldn’t be a hypocrite. Did you at least get him?” Peter asked, frowning.</p><p>”Yeah. Webbed him up and asked her to call the police. I kinda freaked out when I realized I was bleeding so much,” Miles mumbled.</p><p>”I understand,” Peter said, tapping Miles’ elbows to get him to raise his arms so he could wrap the bandaging around his torso. “I’m glad you didn’t panic, and came here instead of trying to deal with it by yourself.”</p><p>”I don’t think mom would’ve wanted to see me like this,” Miles sighed, scrubbing one hand over his face. “She worries enough as it is.”</p><p>”Hmm,” Peter said, opting not to comment on it further. He wasn’t really sure how to advise Miles on managing Spider-Man in relation to his family. Just like he had told him a few weeks before, it wasn’t something he had any experience with.</p><p>He finished wrapping the bandaging, pulling away to clean up the supplies strewn across the counter. “I’m gonna find you something to change into,” he told Miles. “You ok to wait here? Any dizziness?”</p><p>”Nope, I’m fine,” Miles replied. “Thanks again, man.”</p><p>”No problem,” Peter called, slipping into his bedroom to find some clothes. He ended up handing Miles some sweatpants, a t-shirt, and socks, telling him to join him on the couch after he changed.</p><p>(He kept a close ear out for any loud thumps or indications of trouble, knowing how easy it was to suffer from pain or dizziness after taking a beating like that.)</p><p>Miles came back out in a little bit, looking exhausted and miserable. He sat down on the couch, cringing as soon as his shoulders made contact with the back of it. He opted instead to curl up on his side, tucking an arm under one of the pillows and pulling his knees up to his chest.</p><p>”Do you want some crappy Lo Mein?” Peter asked, glancing at him with concern. </p><p>Miles considered for a second before shrugging. “I could probably eat a little bit, sure.”</p><p>Peter brought him a bowl and a glass of water, watching as Miles leaned his lower back against the arm of the couch, avoiding the possibility of exacerbating his wound. He made a slight face as he tasted the food, but quickly tried to rearrange his features when he noticed Peter breaking into a grin.</p><p>”That bad, huh? Pretty sure I messed the recipe up.” He leaned back, smiling at Miles.</p><p>”No, it’s fine,” Miles said quickly. “Well, maybe a little soggy. Which, I don’t know how you achieved making <i>noodles</i> soggy, but-“ he paused. “That’s not my point. My point is it’s not terrible.”</p><p>”’Not terrible,’ Peter said, holding his hands out dramatically to mimic a rectangle in front of him. “I can just see that as the subtitle to my five star restaurant.”</p><p>Miles grinned, taking another bite of the pasta. “Sounds like it’ll bring you some good business.”</p><p>Peter chuckled, shaking his head. “With high praise like that? You bet.” He picked up the remote, waving it vaguely. “Wanna watch mindless TV? That’s usually how I recover from my injuries. You know, if I have time. Which we do.”</p><p>“Sure,” Miles said, placing his bowl back on the table and curling back up on his side.</p><p>Peter’s couch wasn’t that big, so he had to coil up pretty tightly in order to avoid kicking his mentor. The older spider eyed him as he flipped through the seemingly endless channels, eventually leaving it on a sitcom.</p><p>”You can stretch out more if you want,” he told Miles, making him glance over in surprise. “I don’t mind.” He tapped his lap invitingly.</p><p>Miles hesitated for a second. Normally, he would balk at the idea of crowding his legs into someone else’s space. But this was Pete. They hadn’t just met. And...his wound <i>was</i> kind of irritated from having his legs curled so closely to him.</p><p>“Alright. If you don’t mind,” he said hesitantly, cautiously unfurling his legs and resting them across his mentor’s lap. True to his word, Peter didn’t seem to care, snorting and making a comment about the ridiculousness of the show he had put on.</p><p>Miles allowed himself to relax in the position, focusing on the muted light coming from the TV. One of Peter’s hands came to rest reassuringly against his right shin, and he closed his eyes, allowing the warmth from his hand to distract him from the troubling thoughts that were beneath the surface of his mind.</p><p>Everything was fine in this moment. The warm buzz that tingled reassuringly somewhere in the back of his mind whispered only of safety.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Cold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is this one similar to the last one? Yes. </p><p>Is it 100% an excuse for me to just write ALL the whumpy, fluffy content? Absolutely.</p><p>Also, it’s the second chapter in a row where Miles is getting whumped. Sorry, Miles. I’ll try to give Peter a turn, too.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Cold</b>
</p><p>Miles grunted in agitation as a crowbar sailed towards his face, making him duck under the swing and kick the legs of his assailant from under him.</p><p>”Guys, can we finish this up soon? I’ve been out in this cold longer than I’d care to think about,” he complained, webbing another goon to a metal support beam.</p><p>It was true, he <i>had</i> been out in the cold for <i>hours</i> on end. And it wasn’t like patrolling had kept him warm like usual. F.E.A.S.T. Midtown had an issue with getting their trucks moving out of the snow, so of course Miles had volunteered to help. Of course, it turned out there were several other snowy problems at the shelter, and he had determinedly insisted on helping with all of them. It was definitely a worthy cause for freezing his butt off for.</p><p>Peter had been covering the various crimes going on in the city while he had been helping at the shelter, reassuring Miles that he had it handled and thanking him for covering F.E.A.S.T.‘s emergency needs. Apparently, this winter wasn’t quite done with making New York suffer through extreme temperatures. It wasn’t “Storm of the century!” levels, but it was still really cold.</p><p>When Miles had finally finished up at the shelter, he had immediately received an alert from the FNSM app that said there was suspicious activity going on at one of the old Fisk construction sites. In all honesty, Miles was getting <i>really</i> tired of those unfinished buildings. Between the Underground, Fisk’s men, and Raft escapees, they were the prime spot for the problem of the week to set up camp.</p><p>He honed his attention on the fight at hand, ruthlessly sending another venom attack into one of the thugs, the brief flare of electricity warming his hands for a fleeting second. After it was dispersed into the criminal, though, it didn’t do much to help with his shivers.</p><p>Maybe he should have worn Hailey’s scarf, he thought tiredly. The cold was being surprisingly problematic for him. He felt sluggish and tired as he tossed a bag of cement powder into two more goons, shaking his head a little to try and clear it.</p><p>”Hey, bug! See how ya like this!” One of the goons yelled, swinging a baseball bat of all things at him. Miles side-stepped the blow, webbing the projectile out of the guy’s hands and preparing to swing it back into the group surrounding him. Just as he was twisting to wind up the web-line, however, his spider-sense warned him sharply.</p><p>He flinched away from the incoming attack instinctively, only for another crowbar to swing at his head from his right just as he avoided it.</p><p>This time, they didn’t miss.</p><p>His vision suddenly whited out, and he felt himself get knocked sideways, crashing through the flimsy cardboard that covered a portion of one of the incomplete walls. Before he could process anything else, he was falling through and into nothingness.</p><p>Miles gasped, thrusting his wrist forward and blindly firing a web. It must not have caught on anything, because the line felt limp, and the next thing he knew, he was crashing into solid ground, <i>hard</i>.</p><p>His vision was obscured with black this time.</p><p>———</p><p>Peter was just webbing away from a break-in scene when his suit suddenly let out an alarming ping. He frowned, pulling up the alert as he landed on a fire escape.</p><p><i>Error detected in Spider-Man’s suit. Sending coordinates,</i> it read.</p><p>Peter felt his heart leap into his throat, immediately launching off the building in the direction his AI indicated. He dialed Miles, fear gripping him even tighter when the younger spider did not answer.</p><p>”Shit,” he hissed, flying through the city as fast as his web-shooters would take him.</p><p>He was led to a construction sight, an incomplete Fisk building that stood multiple stories high. His lenses pinpointed a speck on one of the lower base levels that jutted out from the bottom of the building. Peter’s anxiety increased as he landed next to Miles, finding his protégé unconscious in the snow. Judging by how he was laying, and the disturbance in the powdery substance, he had fallen from above. Peter glanced up at the top of the building, lenses zooming in to look for signs of danger. He couldn’t see any.</p><p>”Miles? Miles? Can you hear me?” he grabbed his shoulder, shaking him. There was an underlying buzz of protectiveness and fear in the very back of his mind as he registered the younger spider’s vulnerable pose. His eyes narrowed as he felt his cold temperature even through the gloves. Peter pulled up his readings on his lenses, gasping at his temperature status.</p><p>90° Fahrenheit. That was <i>abysmally</i> bad.</p><p>Peter briefly looked around once more to make sure no one was about to attack them, before leaning down and scooping Miles into his arms. He didn’t respond or make any noise, and Peter felt panic beginning to grip him fully.</p><p><i>Ok, no panicking, not now,</i> he told himself firmly. He had to get Miles indoors and try to warm him up.</p><p>The older spider wrapped one arm around Miles’ waist, firing off a web and heading toward his apartment. It was a lot closer than Miles’ apartment was from here. What had he even been <i>doing</i> this far away from home? Usually this was Peter’s assigned area to patrol. He had figured Miles would go straight home after helping at F.E.A.S.T.</p><p>Looking back, that had been a pretty dumb assumption. This was <i>Miles</i> he was talking about. The kid was completely determined to help everybody and anybody, no matter the cost to himself.</p><p>Peter landed awkwardly on the fire escape outside his apartment, practically breaking the window in his hurry to open it.</p><p>He carried Miles over and laid him down on his couch, pulling off his mask. There was dried blood on his temple, but if he had gotten cut up from the injury, it must have already healed. He didn’t seem to have sustained any other wounds. Peter felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak. He also wasn’t shivering, which was not a good sign.</p><p>”Ok, right, blankets,” Peter said, remembering the stages of hypothermia and the proper response to each one. He couldn’t just dump Miles into warm water or something, it would likely make him go into shock. He needed to warm him up slowly, preferably with hot liquids and wrapping him in blankets.</p><p>Peter didn’t hesitate to pull the quilt right off his bed, tossing all the blankets he could find onto his couch. He grabbed a mug, filling it with water before unceremoniously shoving it in the microwave.</p><p>He carried the slightly steaming liquid back to the couch, wiping away the dried blood before laying a hand over Miles’ forehead. “I’m gonna need to give you body heat,” he said as he rolled his freezing body over, carefully undoing the top of his suit. </p><p>He pulled the shirt portion of Miles’ suit down to his waist, tying the sleeves around his waist before doing the same to his own suit. The other spider’s skin felt icy to his now bare hands as he gently lifted the teen, sitting down on the couch and stretching his legs down the length of it before pulling Miles into his lap and aligning his legs with his own.</p><p>Peter hissed softly at how cold his friend’s skin was, gathering the blankets around them and creating a cocoon that should contain any warmth they were giving off. </p><p>He carefully reached over and grabbed the mug from the coffee table. “I’m gonna try to get you to drink some of this,” he said nervously. It felt right to say what he was doing, even if Miles couldn’t hear him and it was just to soothe his own nerves. </p><p>It took some coordinating, but he eventually got Miles to drink, bringing one hand to the back of his skull to tilt his mouth open, gingerly pouring some of the liquid inside and coaxing him to swallow by rubbing his throat. He was worried Miles would choke if he gave him too much, so he set the mug back down after a moment.</p><p>He adjusted the younger spider so that his back was pressed closely to his chest, wrapping his arms around him and tucking his head under his chin.</p><p>”I’ve got you,” he murmured softly, cradling Miles as closely as possible. He scooted them down into a more reclined position, so that he could rest his back a little easier, and hopefully not give Miles an ache in his neck from the awkward angle.</p><p>Miles began to shiver after a little while, and Peter let out a soft sigh of relief. Shivering was good. It meant he was warm enough to move and react to the environment.</p><p>At one point the younger spider groaned, shifting ever-so-slightly in his hold before nuzzling closer into Peter’s warmth and falling back into unconsciousness. He did so a few more times, shifting himself restlessly every once in a while. Peter questioned if he was awake carefully each time, but so far had been met with only incoherent mumbles.</p><p>Miles let out a soft whimper after another anxious period of waiting, his shivering suddenly spiking more violently. He started to try to wiggle again, and Peter immediately tightened his grip. “Don’t move. I’m helping you warm up,” he told Miles softly, lifting one of his hands to run his fingers gently over his short hair.</p><p>Miles seemed to find the action comforting, because he relaxed back into his arms, eyes sliding closed from where they had been trying to flicker open. Peter continued the motion, trying his best to provide some reassurance.</p><p>The younger spider seemed to gain coherent consciousness after what felt like a long time, sounding confused when he spoke. ”Pete?” Miles asked groggily.</p><p>”Hey,” his mentor replied softly, pausing in running his hand over the side of his head. “You ok?”</p><p>Miles shivered again, shifting slightly. “I’m c-cold,” he breathed, closing his eyes again. “R-really, really c-cold.”</p><p>”Hence the impromptu snuggle session,” Peter replied, tightening his arms around him slightly. “You got knocked out pretty bad. I found you unconscious in the snow. Your temperature was dangerously low.”</p><p>Miles didn’t say anything for a moment, still trembling intensely. “Got k-knocked off a b-building, I t-think,” he rasped eventually. “I guess it made me black o-out. I was a-already cold b-before it happened.”</p><p>”Too much time outdoors in this temperature,” Peter acknowledged. “I’m so sorry.”</p><p>Miles tried to shrug but failed miserably, his body protesting adamantly to the idea of movement. “Not your f-fault.”</p><p>“You need to drink more warm liquids,” Peter realized, frowning. “I have to get up for a sec.”</p><p>Miles bit back a protest, trying not to show his anxiety at losing Peter’s all-encompassing warmth. “O-ok,” he managed, making another attempt at moving <i>anything</i>. His limbs ached, and he bit back a whimper as his trembling intensified.</p><p>”Just relax,” Peter told him quickly, carefully lifting Miles off him and depositing him back on the couch as he rolled off and stood up. He didn’t bother to stretch his aching limbs, going straight to the kitchen and heating more water.</p><p>As soon as he stood up, Miles almost gasped from the loss of heat. He knew they both tended to run at higher temperatures than normal humans, but being close to Peter felt shockingly warmer than being by himself.</p><p><i>Pull yourself together,</i> he told himself. <i>It’s only for a minute. You’re not about to die or something.</i> The anxiety that reared its head within him said otherwise, and the warm sensation at the back of his mind that he hadn’t noticed was present until now vanished. </p><p>”Hold on, I’m gonna get back into that blanket burrito with you,” Peter said as he suddenly returned, setting the mug on the coffee table and kneeling back by the couch’s side. Miles made a face as he strained to move, seemingly trying to shift himself to be helpful. He let out a soft groan, his shivering seeming to be worse than ever.</p><p>”I can’t even move,” he complained, frustration clear across his face. Peter could understand why. Miles absolutely <i>hated</i> the idea of being helpless.</p><p>”You’ll be able to soon,” he tried to reassure as he picked his mentee up again, rearranging the blankets around them and pulling Miles back into his lap. “Don’t worry.”</p><p>Miles immediately nuzzled closely into his warm hold, breathing the softest sigh of relief as Peter wrapped one arm around him and reached for the mug with the other.</p><p>He went to hand it to Miles, then hesitated as the younger spider extended an exceptionally unstable hand to accept it. “You’ll spill it,” he realized, frowning.</p><p>Miles just groaned. He only wanted to bundle into his mentor’s comforting warmth and go to sleep right now. He <i>really</i> did not want to deal with any of these problems, at least not until he woke up later.</p><p>”I’ll help you,” Peter said gently, shifting Miles so that his back was supported by his right arm. He ever-so-gently brought the cup to his lips, holding it steady for him. Miles brought his hands over Peter’s, his mentor keeping the mug stable while he parted his lips and drank. The water was warm, spreading heat through his stomach as it ran down his throat.</p><p>Peter gingerly set the cup back on the table after Miles had drained its contents. His worried eyes studied his protégé’s face, one hand coming up to brush delicately over Miles’ forehead. Miles closed his eyes, leaning into the contact as the warm tingling in the back of his head <i>sang</i> at Peter’s tender touch.</p><p>”Did that warm you up a little?” Peter asked softly, running his hand over Miles’ hair again as he relaxed into the gentle caress.</p><p>”Mmhmm,” Miles murmured, eyes sliding shut as Peter continued his tender ministrations. “I’m s-sorry about this.”</p><p>“Don’t be sorry,” Peter replied quietly. “You should have seen all the hits I took when I was your age. I still take them. Remember that Rhino fight? You saved my butt on plenty of occasions. I’m just returning the favor.”</p><p>”D-doesn’t make it fair t-that you’re the one who has to deal with me,” Miles mumbled, brow furrowing slightly in angst.</p><p>”I don’t ‘deal with you,’” Peter said firmly. “I’m here to help you out because I care, and because I want to make sure you have the best support system you can. Don’t ever worry about bothering me. You never will.”</p><p>Miles didn’t say anything, though his pinched expression relaxed. Peter realized that he was dozing off, so he adjusted his hold, pulling Miles back into their initial position so that they were making as much contact as possible. His shivering had subdued, but not stopped completely.</p><p>Miles stirred slightly at the movement, but melted into Peter’s arms once he settled him back against his chest. He let out the softest of sighs as his mentor cradled him closer.</p><p>Peter felt a gentle smile form on his face as Miles snuggled into him. His spider-sense was acting strangely, subtly murmuring at the back of his mind, but not discontentedly. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, and he wasn’t exactly sure why, but he chose not to ponder it in that moment.</p><p>That was, until Miles spoke again, voice muffled and sleepy.</p><p>”My spider-sense, it always goes fuzzy when we do this kinda thing,” he mumbled.</p><p>Peter furrowed his brow in surprise. That was unexpected. And weird.</p><p>”Yeah, mine does too,” he whispered back, twitching one of his shoulders unconsciously. “I don’t know why, though.”</p><p>”It’s nice...” Miles trailed off halfway through his sentence, sleep nearing his mind. His head was resting between the older spider’s collarbones, right above his heart. The sound of Peter’s breathing and heartbeat so close by was incredibly soothing. Any concern of this being a potentially embarrassing situation was far away from his mind. The only thoughts that made it through his exhausted brain came from the tingling of his sixth sense. <i>Warm</i> and <i>safe,</i> it said.</p><p>With that, Miles let himself drift off.</p><p>Peter slid down a little further, leaning back against the pillow on the arm of the couch as he tucked Miles’ head back under his chin. He vaguely wondered if it was bad that he was enjoying this. Having someone to snuggle up with in a platonic context was not something he had had in a long time.</p><p>The reaction of his spider-sense to all of this was...interesting.</p><p>Hypotheses began to circulate through his mind as he gazed across the living room. It seemed reasonable that Miles possessing the same sixth sense and powers that he did had something to do with it. Thinking about it now, he was pretty sure the only other times he had felt something beyond warnings from his sense had been around the younger spider. He had never felt <i>content</i> from his spider-sense, even around people like MJ or Aunt May.</p><p>Were their senses...connecting?</p><p>Peter shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts. He could worry about it later. Right now, he should probably get some rest. It wasn’t like he could go anywhere (or really wanted to, though he was a little embarrassed by that thought), not while he was pinned down beneath a tired, chilled spider-kid.</p><p>”Goodnight, Miles,” he whispered softly. “I’m right here if you need me.”</p><p>He tilted his head back, closing his own eyes and allowing himself to drift off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Gahhhhh </p><p>Too frickin fluffy my goodness</p><p>I am a very predictable author LOL</p><p>(Also spider-sense connecting them is complete BS but 100% adorable, idc)</p><p>Thank you for reading. Make sure to brush your teeth after reading this. It certainly gave <i>me</i> cavities.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Belong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Belong</b>
</p><p>The near-death hypothermia experience blew over pretty quickly, just like any of their other near-death experiences.</p><p>Miles was slightly shy as he finally regained his strength, reluctantly agreeing to eat breakfast before practically diving out the window to head home. Peter had offered to swing with him, but he had refused, insisting that he was fine.</p><p>Peter felt a little bad, in some ways. He really hadn’t been trying to embarrass Miles by snuggling up with him when he was freezing. The kid had needed help, and he wasn’t really sure what other course of action he could have taken.</p><p>They just sort of resumed their natural flow of patrol and training afterwards, so he assumed that it hadn’t done any permanent damage. Miles did flush a little when he mentioned it off-handedly, but other than that, he didn’t react adversely.</p><p>The thing Peter couldn’t quite shake, though, was his sense of curiosity about his spider-sense’s confusing reactions.</p><p>He <i>had</i> been telling the truth when he told Miles that he had noticed little variations in his spider-sense before that night. Now that he had been alerted to the fact that he wasn’t just imagining it acting up, though, he started to notice the “variations” happened a lot, <i>coincidentally</i> only when the other spider was around. </p><p>It was like he could somehow <i>sense</i> his presence.</p><p>He noticed that whenever Miles suddenly popped up to meet him on patrol, he would get a little shiver at the top of his spine right before his protégé would swing into view, somersaulting through the air carelessly and sending him a goofy salute.</p><p>The shiver would fade into a sort of muted hum that would stay with him for hours, warbling around sometimes as they dealt with crimes or swung through the city. It seemed to get stronger when Miles was close, though it never seemed to be at a consistent level even then, often humming differently when they did simple things like coordinated attacks or fist-bumps. The moment he left, it slowly dimmed, muting into complete silence.</p><p>If Miles noticed it, he hadn’t said anything. Peter soon realized he must not have been awake enough to remember their realization that they were both sensing something strange from their sixth senses that night.</p><p>Sometimes the additional buzzing got to be...troublesome, too.</p><p>A few days after the cold incident, they were just finishing webbing up some bank robbers when Peter turned to glance at Miles, just in time to see him dealing with the final goon standing.</p><p>It was at that moment that the quiet, ambient hum decided to turn into a soft, nagging <i>whine.</i></p><p>Instead of just <i>Danger,</i> like it usually warned, it had something else to add to the foreboding chant.  <i>Protect,</i> it demanded, and Peter had to forcibly stop himself from dashing to Miles’ side, because he didn’t <i>need to.</i> The younger spider was more than capable of dodging the goon’s blows, casually winding back his own fist and sending the guy flying with a Venom strike.</p><p>Miles dusted off his hands, lenses narrowing slightly as he grinned under his mask and turned to Peter. “Guess they shouldn’t have <i>banked on</i> avoiding us in their escape,” he said, shooting a sly finger-gun at Peter as he stepped over a pile of dispatched thieves.</p><p>Peter was pulled back into the moment by his terrible pun, chuckling and barely resisting the urge to rub the back of his head as the whine died back down to the hum. “I’d give you a ‘B’ on that one.”</p><p>”Hey, that means I’m improving on the quipping chart!” Miles laughed. “Used to be at a ‘C’, look how far I’ve come.”</p><p>Peter shook his head fondly. “Come on, I think the cops can handle these fine gentlemen from here,” he gestured to the incapacitated criminals. Miles agreed, and the two moved on, heading on to solve another problem just like always.</p><p>Peter certainly didn’t forget about his new observation, though, and began to wonder if he was just going crazy now.</p><p>A few nights later he sat in his bed, staring hesitantly at the keyboard on his laptop. He wondered exactly <i>what</i> he could possibly type into any search engine that would conjure the answers to “Why is my spider-buddy making my sixth sense go berserk?”</p><p>He tilted his head back, considering.</p><p>Ok, facts were a good place to start.</p><p>They both had spider powers. They clearly both felt some sort of connection through their senses, even though most spiders did not have a sixth sense. That had been unique to the spiders that bit them. He didn’t exactly have access to the information regarding their spider bites, Oscorp and all that.</p><p>Miles was new to this and Peter worried about him sometimes, maybe it was some sort of stress reaction?</p><p>He typed in “Spider stress reaction,” feeling ridiculous, then immediately gagged when he saw the articles covering the people who apparently de-stressed by letting giant spiders crawl on their faces.</p><p>He might share the same genetics as some of those creepy-crawlies, but damn if that wasn’t gross.</p><p>Peter groaned in frustration after several more fruitless searches. Just as he was about to click away from an article on spider hibernation habits (yeah, he didn’t know either), his eyes caught on a link to another spider-related article off to the side of the website.</p><p><i>Parenting.</i> Spiders parented? He was pretty sure they didn’t care for their young from what he had ever learned. His curiosity was piqued, so he followed the link, idly reading through the following article.</p><p>Apparently, yes, some spiders did care for their young. Mostly maternally, but some species, like the <i>manogea porracea</i>, had demonstrated paternal protection habits too—</p><p>Peter paused.</p><p>Wait- Nah. Surely not. That was...ridiculous.</p><p>(Except Miles was younger than him, and he did see him sort of as the younger brother he had never had, almost like family...)</p><p>Peter bit his lip in thought, hesitantly bookmarking the page before opening another tab and typing in “spider families.”</p><p>Not much came up for that one, except a Wikipedia article on “Social Spiders.” He couldn’t help but be a little fascinated with the new information that some species would create large, communal webs in which they worked together as a community.</p><p><i>Theridion nigroannulatum</i> was one of the examples provided, the article detailing that members of the same group would work with each other to obtain prey, and even share meals together.</p><p><i>Bagheera kiplingi</i>, which was apparently a herbivorous species, was known to have colonies with members that protected egg clusters and...spiderlings.</p><p>Peter had to bite back an incredulous laugh. Ok, so apparently young spiders were called “spiderlings,” like, <i>officially.</i> That was- that was kind of adorable.</p><p>He reached a hand up, running it wearily over his face as he stared blankly into the blue light coming off his laptop’s screen.</p><p>So, apparently spiders <i>could</i> care about each other. And want to protect each other. Sort of.</p><p>This was...a lot to unpack.</p><p>”Why hasn’t any of this been a problem before?” He asked out loud to his empty apartment, brow furrowing in confusion.</p><p>Except...</p><p>Hadn’t it?</p><p>Peter thought back to the very first few times he and Miles had gone out swinging. It had been nerve-wracking, to say the least. Lots of yelling hasty pointers over the sound of the wind, maintaining a steady speed next to his charge while Miles slowly got the hang of his web-shooters. He had forgotten about his worries once Miles had started to demonstrate just how quickly he could adapt to being in the skies.</p><p> Then there had been Miles’ first brawls, where he had been afraid to take his eyes off him, sometimes letting up on his own defenses in favor of watching Miles’ attackers, listening intently for his spider-sense as he felt a need to ensure his friend was doing all right.</p><p>He remembered Rhino smashing him through that wall, landing against the cold concrete ground with Miles suddenly kneeling down next to him, voice panicked as he asked if he was ok. Peter had tried to move only to find his vision swimming, his last words before he succumbed to his injuries reflecting the fearful panic inside him as he registered the threat approaching <i>Miles,</i> not him. “Miles...get <i>out</i> of here.”</p><p>Maybe he had been silently influenced by this...instinct from the very beginning.</p><p>Peter frowned at the marred paint of his apartment’s ceiling. In some ways, this apparent streak of protectiveness didn’t seem fair. Miles wasn’t a baby. He was someone who had stepped up to the mantle unceremoniously thrust upon him, taking all the insanity in stride and smiling through it. He was powerful, and smart, and more than capable of defending himself. He was everything that Spider-Man should be.</p><p>He was also still a kid under that mask, one that had lost so, so much. One that was still human, despite the alterations to his DNA. He had lost his father, and now his best friend.</p><p>He still felt pain, despite being a superhuman. And deep down, that— <i>that</i> was what Peter wanted to stop. What he wanted to protect Miles from. All the pain that came with this job.</p><p>His spider-sense might be over-simplifying his more human intentions into primitive desires to <i>protect</i>, but that didn’t mean that Peter had the right—or the need—to act on every instinct his mind threw at him. He was going to have to prevent himself from allowing any of his own bizarre, complicated emotions from holding Miles back.</p><p>Peter ran a hand through his hair, pulling his mind back to his analysis of the situation. So, in very basic terms, his spider-sense seemed to have decided that Miles was part of his “spider-community,” and needed to be cared for accordingly.</p><p>Peter let out an embarrassed groan. This probably wasn’t going to go over well.</p><p>Should he even tell Miles? What would he say? “Hey, so this is gonna sound kinda weird, but basically my spider-brain has decided that you are now my child. Now get back into your web, young man!”</p><p>”I’m screwed,” he decided out loud. He closed the lid of his laptop, unceremoniously plopping it down on his nightstand and rolling onto his side.</p><p>Unbidden, he remembered Miles’ words on the night where he had found him in the snow.</p><p>
  <i>”My spider-sense, it always goes fuzzy when we do this kinda thing.”</i>
</p><p>What kind of thing had he been talking about, exactly? Huddling for warmth after one of them nearly died from cold wasn’t exactly a common activity. Peter had been so surprised, he hadn’t thought to ask for more specificity from Miles’ statement. He had just agreed, thinking of the unusual sensation in his own mind.</p><p>”Physical contact?” He asked the darkness before him. “Maybe he meant that.”</p><p>Whatever he had meant, this clearly indicated that Peter wasn’t the only one who had a spider-sense-based reaction.</p><p>He wasn’t sure what Miles would even be feeling from his own sixth sense, though. It didn’t seem likely that his reaction would tie into the concept of protecting family. From what he had read, spiderlings didn’t usually care about their parents, generally opting to leave immediately after hatching. Unless they were Wolf Spiders. Those babies tended to be pretty clingy.</p><p>Maybe this was where their human side started to play in. Peter <i>had</i> felt content with just having Miles nestled into his arms, remembering the pleasant ‘fuzzy’ sensation that echoed his happiness and settled in the back of his mind. Maybe the fuzziness they both felt was their spider-senses drawing on the basic, human sense of content from the physical contact shared in that moment? And it had to do with the fact that it was <i>Miles</i> that Peter was happy about (and vice versa), the only other one who shared a spider-sense?</p><p>Miles hadn’t been threatened by any tangible danger in that moment, so it seemed unlikely that it was that annoying “protect” instinct. And besides, Peter had not felt that <i>warm</i> sensation just engaging in their day-to-day activities, like fighting or simply hanging out. It wasn’t anywhere near the persistent whining sensation that he now associated with the idea of Miles being in potential danger, or the simple ambient hum that he recently realized always accompanied the younger spider’s presence.</p><p>The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize just how much this spider-sense thing could be impacting their interactions and friendship.</p><p>Their uncanny ability to fight perfectly side by side, his sense’s background awareness of Miles’ presence, his apparent feeling of <i>belonging</i> when they had been close to each other. It was all inhuman, and unnatural, and something that was a bit scary, but also incredibly fascinating and <i>special</i>.</p><p>Peter had to know if Miles could feel it, too. </p><p>He was almost certain now that his spider-sense had identified and accepted Miles as another of his kind, as someone important that needed protection and care. This identification only furthered his idea of his spider-sense connecting him to his friend.</p><p>Peter took a soft breath, feeling determined as he stared into the darkness of his bedroom. He was going to ask Miles about this, no matter how awkward it might be at first.</p><p>———</p><p>Miles ended up in his apartment two days later, backpack slung over his shoulder and holding a cracked holo-drone emitter. “Can I borrow some of your tools? This kinda...broke,” he said sheepishly as Peter let him in through the window.</p><p>“Yeah, feel free,” Peter said easily, returning to his computer to finish writing the draft in reply to Stark Industries. He had been more than a little surprised when he had actually gotten an email in response to his application. Not many robotics organizations were interested in working with the man who had contributed to Otto Octavius’ arms, never mind the best of the best, Avengers-influenced corporations.</p><p>He made sure to hit save on the email before glancing back up at Miles, who was already half-way through taking apart the emitter. His tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth, eyes laser-focused on his work.</p><p>Peter took a soft, anxious breath. Ok, go time.</p><p>”You ever get this weird sense of recognition whenever we see each other?” He asked in what he hoped was a causal tone, scrolling through his inbox and keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.</p><p>Miles paused to give him a look, before returning to unscrewing something from the bottom of the emitter. “This sounds like a set-up for a really bad joke.”</p><p>”It’s not,” Peter said, internally wincing as his voice came out a little too quickly. “I meant, like, from...your spider-sense.”</p><p>He didn’t look up as the sounds of Miles’ fidgetings with the emitter froze. Peter eventually allowed his eyes to flicker up as Miles stared at him with an unreadable expression for a moment. Finally, he asked, “What...do you mean, exactly?”</p><p>Peter shrugged. “I don’t know. Like a weird tingle or buzz. And it hangs around for a long time. Sort of in the background.”</p><p>Miles glanced to the other side of the room, wetting his lips before meeting Peter’s gaze again. “Kinda like when you’re sensing danger, but...not?”</p><p>”Yeah,” Peter replied, losing the pretense of looking at his computer completely. “Like you can sort of, I don’t know...sense me?”</p><p>Miles paused again, letting his hands fall limp in his lap, still clutching the emitter. “You...get it too?” His eyes were uncertain, but held something that could have been hope.</p><p>”Yes,” Peter breathed, gazing intently at the younger spider. “As soon as you get close to me, I can just <i>tell</i> you’re there.”</p><p>”I thought I was just being crazy,” Miles laughed incredulously. “What does this mean, though? It’s gotta be something to do with our spider DNA. I never get that feeling when I’m around anyone else.”</p><p>”That’s what I thought too,” Peter replied. “I didn’t even really notice it until a few weeks ago. And I guess I didn’t truly <i>acknowledge</i> it until the other day, when you told me you got a weird sensation from your spider-sense while I was helping you with warming up.”</p><p>Miles made a confused face at that. “I don’t remember saying that. I do, um, remember feeling really...odd? I thought it was just the shock, though.” He looked embarrassed, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck.</p><p>”You said something about feeling ‘fuzzy’ from your spider-sense, right when I was feeling something similar from mine,” Peter said. “And it started to make me realize that maybe we have some sort of...<i>connection</i>.”</p><p>”Like telepathy? Or empathy? I’m no expert, but I don’t think spiders have that normally,” Miles said, appearing baffled by the idea.</p><p>”No,” Peter agreed, “But they also don’t usually have built-in danger detectors. My theory is that our spider-senses are sort of <i>recognizing</i> each other, you know, as <i>other spiders.</i> It...would kind of explain a lot. For me, at least. Like how we just know how to work together so perfectly in a fight. Or how we know the other one of us is there before we can even see each other. Or, um, why I feel kind of...over-protective of you sometimes.”</p><p>Miles raised his brows at the last one. “Wait, what? What do you mean?”</p><p>Peter lifted a hand, gesturing vaguely as he held back an embarrassed grimace. ”Well, I did some research, and apparently, lots of spiders like living in colonies,” Peter began his rant nervously. “And they take turn taking care of- the, uh, younger ones. You know, making sure they don’t die. And all that.” It was his turn to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. “Anyway, I’ve noticed that sometimes my spider-sense gets all...paranoid. About you. During fights. So I kind of figured that it might be making me feel like I should be watching out for you more. Because it thinks we’re spiders, and you’re younger, so I need to protect you. You know, tying in to the whole colonies thing and the apparent ‘telepathy’ we feel,” He finished, taking in a sharp breath after his rant and making a slightly anxious face.</p><p>Miles was frozen, staring at him in surprise. “...Ok?” he said eventually. “That’s...not what I thought you were going to say. Can you, um, repeat that? In a more coherent way?”</p><p>”Yeah,” Peter replied rather miserably. “Come here, I’ll show you the stuff I found.”</p><p>Miles crowded in next to him on the couch, and he pulled up his findings on his laptop, taking more time to explain his thought process. He tried to minimize the information about the spider-parenting stuff, but Miles picked up on his exclusion pretty quickly, sending him an unimpressed look and pulling the information out of him regardless.</p><p>Afterward, Miles folded his hands, lining up his index fingers and pressing them to his lips as he stared across the apartment in deep thought. Peter waited for him to speak, resisting the urge to nervously drum his fingers on the edge of his computer.</p><p>”So, just for complete clarity...you’re saying that our spider-senses sort of detect each other—or ping off of one another—and it makes that part of our brains recognize each other as being the same kind of...spider-human hybrid?” He stared at Peter over his hands, brows furrowed slightly in question.</p><p>”Yes,” Peter affirmed.</p><p>”How, though? I mean... what’s the science behind this...’telepathy’ thing, even?”</p><p>”I don’t know, and I don’t have a way to find out right now. Like you said earlier, spiders don’t exactly have a sixth sense like we do,” Peter replied.</p><p>”So, our brains are essentially obsessed with the fact that we’re both part spider. And your sense sees me as being...what, a baby?” Miles raised an unimpressed brow.</p><p>”No! Yes? Kind of? I don’t really know,” Peter replied awkwardly, waving his hands about unhelpfully. “<i>I</i> don’t see you as being a baby. You’re my friend. And even though I’m a bit older than you, I see you as an equal. In strength, and fighting style, and everything. I don’t see you as being weaker than me.”</p><p>”Ok...” Miles replied, still not looking totally convinced. “So what’s mine seeing you as, then?”</p><p>Peter shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. Not a threat, I guess. Just another member of our ‘colony’?”</p><p>”Low key kinda creepy that spiders can live in a colony,” Miles commented, unfolding his hands and making little venom sparks between his fingers as he fiddled with them. “But I guess this theory sort of makes sense? It’s better than any other explanation at the moment.” He glanced at Peter uncertainly.</p><p>”Right,” Peter replied with an equal amount of uncertainty. He was still very much nervous about Miles’ reaction.</p><p>”How deep do you think it goes?” Miles asked. “Our...connection thing.”</p><p>”It seems kind of vague at the moment,” Peter answered, staring distantly across the room. “I mean, it seems to get sort of stronger when we get closer. Like, I can...feel you better?”</p><p>”Can you sense my emotions?” Miles asked a little nervously. The idea of that was downright <i>bizarre.</i></p><p>”Not really,” Peter said thoughtfully. “I mean I got this impression of happiness when you were falling asleep the other night. But I couldn’t really tell if it was coming from me or you. Or maybe it was shared.” He flushed a little, looking embarrassed at his confession.</p><p>”Oh,” Miles said, looking slightly shy at the thought as well. “So maybe some sort of emotional connection, but not like...reading each other’s thoughts?”</p><p>”No,” Peter agreed. An awkward silence fell.</p><p>Miles broke it by letting out a sudden laugh, his posture relaxing slightly. Peter glanced up at him in surprise. “What?”</p><p>”Just...this,” Miles gestured between them. “I never would’ve imagined being Spider-Man had so many weird complications involved. I mean yeah, the web-slinging and stickiness was a given, but <i>psychic connections?</i> This is crazy.” He was smiling, which gave Peter a small amount of hope.</p><p>”Are you... worried about it?” He asked cautiously, studying Miles’ reaction.</p><p>”No,” Miles replied after contemplating his question for a second. “Not really. I mean it’s weird, but not...unwelcome.”</p><p>Peter felt a sense of relief wash over him. “I kinda thought the same thing. I mean, I don’t know what we would do even if we didn’t want this. It doesn’t seem to be particularly problematic or intrusive, though.”</p><p>”You sure the last part is true for you?” Miles asked, his expression becoming more serious. “It sounds like you’re having some problems with letting me go out on my own. I mean seriously, man, thinking I’m your...spider-child, or whatever. That’s gotta be weird.”</p><p>Peter laughed a little at that. “No, it’s, um, fine. I’ve been dealing with it. Just need to try and train myself out of it, I think. I can definitely convince my human half that you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but my spider half, not so much. Yet.” He smiled ruefully. “I’ll manage. Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>”Ok,” Miles said, still studying his face with a little uncertainty. “Gotta say, being identified as a baby doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence for my maturing appearance or mental state.”</p><p>”Spiderling,” Peter said suddenly, smiling distantly. “They’re called spiderlings.”</p><p>”Ugh. I’m seventeen, dude,” Miles complained, crossing his arms in a manner that did not indicate his claimed maturity. The irony was not lost on Peter. “I’m not your ‘spiderling.’ Thanks for the thought, though.”</p><p>”I’ll try to convince my brain that I should probably <i>not</i> keep you wrapped up all snug and safe in my apartment, then,” Peter smirked. “I’m gonna guess that wouldn’t go over well?”</p><p>”<i>No</i>,” Miles refused adamantly. “Seven<i>teen</i>. All. Grown. Up.” He poked Peter’s shoulder with each word for emphasis.</p><p>Peter laughed. “All right, all right. If you insist. So...we’ll just proceed as usual, right? And let each other know if there’s any kind of changes with this...new thing?”</p><p>Miles pursed his lips, nodding. “Yeah. That sounds good.”</p><p>”Ok,” Peter said, staring at him with the soft traces of a smile still on his face.</p><p>”Ok.” Miles said, not breaking eye contact.</p><p>Peter fought back a growing grin. “This really is crazy.”</p><p>”Yep,” Miles replied, sounding tired but not defeated. Peter could see that familiar sparkle in his eye. “We’ll just deal with it like how we deal with everything else. Haphazardly and like complete dumb-asses.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>”Alright, stop grinning like an idiot and help me fix this holo-emitter,” Miles said, shaking his head and not bothering to fight his own smile as he stood up and retrieved it from the floor.</p><p>”Whatever you say, spiderling,” Peter smirked.</p><p>Miles pointed a screwdriver at him threateningly, raising his eyebrows. “<i>Don’t.</i>”</p><p>Peter just snickered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ey so I learned some stuff about spiders for this one. All the parenting and colony facts were true and not just made up.</p><p>Hope you guys enjoyed :)</p><p>Edit: I found a great PBS video describing (and showing) some of the stuff about social spiders!</p><p>https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=td09PIjz0iQ</p><p>I am having way too much fun learning spider stuff for this fic xD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Scar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one features absolutely amazing fan art by KinythCosplay!!! Here’s the link to where it is posted on their Tumblr! :D</p><p>https://kinythcosplay.tumblr.com/post/645678126124400640/another-quick-but-colored-sketch-this-time-for</p><p>PS This chapter used to be under a different name, but I changed the word theme because I believe it was too vague. New one is more specific and fitting imo.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Scar</b>
</p><p>Miles scrabbled haphazardly over a rusted pipe, pulling himself tightly up into the corner of the ceiling and planting a hand firmly over his mouth. He was going to have to keep his breathing pretty much inaudible, even to the sharp ears that were searching for him.</p><p>Part of him wanted to snicker at the situation. It was pretty damn ridiculous.</p><p>He and Pete had decided to test out their spider-sense’s detection of one another after patrol. His mentor had told him to try and hide the best he could, while he used his spider-sense alone to find Miles.</p><p>“You sure you’re not just trying to play a glorified game of hide and seek?” Miles had asked, crossing his arms and smirking under his mask. “Sounds to me like this ‘experiment’s’ just a pretty elaborate excuse to me.”</p><p>“What? Noo, of course not!” Peter had replied in mock offense. “We are conducting a one-hundred-percent <i>professional</i>, laboratory-grade experiment. I think we could get a definite advantage if we find out more about this.”</p><p>”Fine, but I still don’t believe you,” Miles had chuckled before turning invisible and webbing away. They had already defined a boundary to stay within, so he just had to find a great hiding spot for their ‘professional’ test.</p><p>Their decided radius included several crumbling warehouses; the interior of the one Miles had selected was thankfully empty from any current inhabitants, so he shimmied up into a hidden corner and waited for his mentor to find him.</p><p>It seemed kind of ridiculous, but he had all his homework done, and was willing to put up with Pete’s shenanigans.</p><p>Miles’ breath caught as he felt his spider-sense hum louder from where it had been dwindling in the back of his mind. If he closed his eyes and listened intently, he could hear feather-light footsteps traversing across the exterior of the building he was hiding in. Peter paused, then changed direction, winding around the building a few times. Miles felt the humming become slightly more and less intense as his mentor moved closer and further away, likely sorting through his own intrinsic guidance system.</p><p>He entertained the thought of moving to a different spot just to screw with him, but the idea quickly died as Peter suddenly dropped nimbly down from the ceiling on the other side of the room. Miles watched silently as his mentor wandered around the perimeter of the room a few times before walking right underneath his perch. He was camouflaged, so Pete couldn’t see him.</p><p>Miles smirked at the golden opportunity that was presented to him. Here Peter was, so distracted by his spider-sense, that he didn’t even realize he had just opened up the best chance for an ambush that Miles would ever get.</p><p>Peter paused below, lenses slowly sliding shut as he froze, clearly listening for any movement. “I know you’re there...” he murmured, and Miles felt a chill run down his spine at the clairvoyance behind his mentor’s words.</p><p>Despite Pete’s slow, creepy murmur, Miles felt determined to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All it took was simply letting his weight tip forward, and suddenly Miles was dropping headlong downwards, straight for the other spider.</p><p>Peter turned on his heel just as Miles collided with him, letting out a yelp as his student tackled him to the ground. “Gotcha!” Miles yelled triumphantly, not caring if he sounded immature as he wrestled to pin the older spider down.</p><p>“Holy cow,” Peter hissed, winded from the impact. “I couldn’t pinpoint you, and you decided to <i>jump me?</i>“</p><p>“Yep. Couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to surprise you,” Miles laughed. He frowned as Peter suddenly stiffened under his hold, one hand coming up to grab onto Miles’ wrist that was pinning down his left shoulder.</p><p>“Let go,” he said, his voice sounding uncharacteristically strangled. “Please.”</p><p>Miles blinked in surprise and shifted off of him, frowning perplexedly. “Uh...I didn’t actually <i>hurt</i> you somehow, right? It was a joke.”</p><p>He watched as Peter rolled out from under him immediately, coming to sit up and scoot a foot or two away from where he was crouching. His breathing sounded a little uneven, and he was clutching his shoulder, looking away from Miles.</p><p>“No, no. It’s fine. You didn’t hurt anything; just my pride,” he let out a soft chuckle, fingers rubbing over the material of his suit’s collarbone before letting his hand finally fall away. “Just a little stiff from the cold is all.” He wasn’t lying; he had already felt a twinge from it once or twice today, but that had only been from the cold. Now it was the cold, and having someone press down directly on <i>that</i> spot.</p><p>“Oh,” Miles said, feeling a trickle of shame run through him as he finally registered exactly <i>where</i> he had ruthlessly pinned his mentor. His shoulder. The one that had gotten impaled. The one that had the faintest traces of a scar dancing across the skin, despite Peter’s super-healing capabilities.</p><p>“Well, clearly I’ve still got some tuning to do in the spidey-sense department,” Peter mused, tapping the side of his head. He tried not to show the fact that he had just been affected by an injury that shouldn’t even technically hurt but still <i>did</i>, still made him panic a little when someone put pressure there-</p><p>“I think we’re doing pretty good,” Miles said, still gazing at Peter with concern through his mask. “Are you... sure you’re ok?”</p><p>Peter bit back an anxious sigh. Damn, maybe that almost empathic connection was deciding to show itself. Or, he was just really, <i>really</i> bad at hiding the fact that he was a little...disgruntled from having his shoulder jostled. (He tried not to think of pouring rain and broken lenses, fear and betrayal and so much <i>failure</i>—)</p><p>“C’mon,” Miles said, standing up and offering his hand. Peter glanced up, staring at his open, inviting palm for a second before reaching out and placing his own hand in Miles’. The younger spider pulled him to his feet, tugging him perhaps a little closer than was necessary as Peter took a short breath to try and steady himself.</p><p>Miles was standing close, the white scarf draped over his suit creating contrast between the two different fabrics. His lenses were focused on Peter, and Peter felt a chill go through him, like he was being <i>seen</i>.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to do that,” Miles said suddenly, voice quiet. He still hadn’t let go of Peter’s hand, his fingers wrapped around his as they just stood there in the dilapidated, silent building. “I didn’t think before I acted. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It’s— it’s fine,” Peter said, hating how his voice faltered a little. “You don’t have to apologize.”</p><p>“Does it hurt?” Miles asked in an impossibly soft voice, still holding Peter’s hand in that tender yet strong grip.</p><p>“Yes,” Peter practically whispered, and he wasn’t sure why he said that, because his initial plan had been to deny that it did. To let the whole thing rest quietly. Miles always just seemed to pull the truth right out of him, calling him on his bullshit from a mile away. “Sometimes it just hurts, even though it shouldn’t. Even though it’s healed, and it wasn’t even that big of a deal. I’ve had so many worse injuries, with nothing to show from them.”</p><p>“It was a big deal,” Miles said quietly yet firmly, lenses narrowing fractionally. “You got stabbed through the shoulder. By someone you trusted. Seems like a pretty big deal to me. I think you’ve got a right to feel something about it.”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Peter croaked weakly. “It’s over. I— I finished it. And dealt with everything that happened because of it.” He paused there, taking another soft breath and decidedly steering his thoughts away from the cliff’s edge of guilt that waited for him down that path of thought. “I know the pain’s not real.”</p><p>“Doesn’t make it any less real to <i>you</i>, though.”</p><p>Peter stared at him in surprise for a second, before glancing away, pulling his hand gently from Miles’ grip. “No, I guess not,” he said.</p><p>“Did you ever...talk to someone about it before?” Miles asked with concern in his words. “Like MJ?”</p><p>”Yeah, a little,” Peter said softly. “She knows.”</p><p>“Is there anything that makes it feel better?”</p><p>Peter shrugged. “Once I stop thinking about it, the pain usually goes away on its own after a little bit. It mostly acts up with the cold. Doesn’t help much.” He scowled under the mask.</p><p>“So you’re saying you need a distraction, and some heat,” Miles considered. He lifted a hand suddenly, then hesitated. “You said your suit’s insulated, right? Like, electrically?”</p><p>“...Yes?” Peter said, staring dubiously at Miles’ hand as a faint orange glow began to flicker across his fingertips. “Not sure I’m liking where this is going.”</p><p>“I’ve got it under control. Just wanna try something to see if it helps,” Miles said, stepping closer to his mentor and waving his fingertips experimentally. “May I?” He asked, hand hovering closer to his shoulder in indication.</p><p>Peter’s initial instinct was to protest adamantly, but his spider-sense was calm, and he knew that Miles would never try to hurt him.</p><p>“Ok,” he breathed, tensing up automatically as Miles delicately laid his hand across his shoulder. He was tempted to squeeze his eyes shut from the sensation of being touched there again, but the sudden warmth sinking through his suit’s fabric made him release his hold on his breath.</p><p>Miles’ lenses were half-lidded as he focused on keeping the Venom trapped in his hand, only allowing the resultant heat to touch his mentor. Peter found himself relaxing into his touch, focusing only on the careful contact of his hand and the pleasant warmth that was sinking into his skin.</p><p>Miles seemed to take his slowly releasing muscles as an indication to continue, because he brought his other hand to lay over the back of his shoulder, the heat from his Venom beginning to soak into both sides.</p><p>“You’ve really stepped up your game on controlling this,” Peter said softly, admiring the finely-tuned restraint Miles was practicing. “I’m jealous.”</p><p>“I’ve been practicing...” Miles sounded distant as he focused on keeping his hands carefully charged.</p><p>“Don’t drain yourself on my account,” Peter said, guilt gripping him as he realized that his protégé’s act of kindness was probably using up his Venom reserves. “It’s not worth it for this.” He went to move away, but Miles kept him still, pressing down ever-so-gently to maintain his hold.</p><p>“It’s worth it to me,” he replied quietly, and Peter felt his heart swell. He didn’t deserve the amount of kindness and dedication this kid showed him every day.</p><p>“Feeling any better?” Miles asked after another moment of silence in which Peter reveled in the sensation of the pain dissipating from his shoulder in wake of the warmth.</p><p>“Yes,” he sighed, reaching up to lay a hand on Miles’ forearm to indicate he could stop. “Thank you.”</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Miles sounded proud of himself, pulling his hands away and letting the warm orange glow sink back into his skin. “It’s the least I can do since I aggravated it in the first place.”</p><p>“Hey, I told you it wasn’t your fault.” Peter frowned. “Don’t go developing a guilt complex on me now.”</p><p>“Kinda seems like being Spider-Man comes packaged with that feature.” Despite Miles’ joke, Peter felt the same uncomfortable sensation that the other spider was peering into his very mind and soul.</p><p>”Maybe that’s something to work on, then,” he said carefully, trying to maintain a poker face even underneath his mask.</p><p>”Yeah. I think so,” Miles replied, his tone light. There was still an undercurrent of meaning in his words, one that Peter didn’t really want to face right now.</p><p>”Alright. It’s your turn to hide,” Miles continued, the suddenly tense atmosphere easing slightly. “If you’re up for it. We could head home if you’re still feeling kinda...bad.” He fidgeted with the edge of his scarf awkwardly.</p><p>His shoulder felt like it was heading back to normal, so Peter didn’t hesitate to agree. “Yeah, I’m up for it. I think this round might go a bit faster though, given the fact that you have a totally unfair advantage. Not <i>all of us</i> have been blessed with <i>invisibility,</i> you know.” He tilted his head petulantly.</p><p>”Guess you’ll just have to find a really convincing spot then,” Miles smirked. “<i>And</i> keep your mouth shut long enough for me not to find you.”</p><p>”Hey!” Peter held his hands up in a ‘what gives?’ gesture. “What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>”It means you better start running,” Miles said, turning his back and clamping his hands over his ears. “One, two, three...” he counted out loud exaggeratedly, barely holding back a laugh at how childish the whole situation was.</p><p>Peter huffed, turning and jogging out of the building. Before webbing to higher ground, he bent down, scooping up a handful of the snow layered outside and crushing it into a ball.</p><p>Miles’ indignant yelp as he nailed him in the back of the head was a great tonic for his wounded pride.</p><p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m not a doctor, so I apologize if any medical/mental health info in this fic is incorrect. </p><p>Thank you for reading :)</p><p>Edit: Hope the fan art shows up with the HTML! It’s so beautiful ahhhhhhh</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Shy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one’s just pure tooth-rotting sweetness. If you’re looking for a serious chapter, then this ain’t the one for you.</p><p>(If you’re looking for a serious <i>anything</i>, I don’t think this is the <i>fic</i> for you LOL)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Shy</b>
</p><p>”You’d think they’d know <i>not</i> to do that. I mean come <i>on.</i> The alien’s obviously gonna be hiding in the darkest, creepiest spot on the whole ship!” Peter gestured vaguely, continuing his critique of the crappy old horror movie they were watching.</p><p>Today had been kind of terrible and stressful, so Miles had found himself lingering in his mentor’s apartment after patrol. Peter had offered that he hang out and watch a movie, and Miles had gratefully agreed.</p><p>Now they were lounging on the couch, snickering about the quality of the severely-outdated sci-fi thriller, and just attempting to relax after the rather demanding activities of the day.</p><p>”Bet she dies first,” Miles said, stretching languidly and idly tapping his socks on the floor. He was sitting near the middle of the left side of the couch, with Peter scrunched up as far as possible on the right side.</p><p>His mentor’s position was currently—and notably—very weird.</p><p>He probably thought that Miles didn’t notice that he was maintaining a careful distance.</p><p>Which, was fine, except Miles had never seen Peter act like this before. He had sent several subtle, suspicious glances his way when he first noticed it, trying to assess if Pete was holding back on him about being injured. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. </p><p>From what Miles could tell, though, he was fine. He hadn’t shown any signs of discomfort while they had been swinging together, and there was no visible discrepancies on his face now.</p><p>So why then? He had never shown any indication of needing extra personal space in the entire time that Miles had known him. Usually, they sat shoulder to shoulder, with Peter showing no hesitation to stretch his limbs out a little; not curled up in the corner with his arms and legs tucked in. Even when he was anxious, Miles had never seen him do that.</p><p>There was only one thing for it: scoot closer and see what would happen.</p><p>Besides, what was the worse that could come of it? If Pete had just suddenly developed a new need for personal space, then Miles would respect his wishes and move back, no problem.</p><p>And—on the plus side—if something <i>was</i> wrong, it would likely get a confession out of him.</p><p>Miles decided to at least attempt to be subtle about it. He started out slow, leaning to the right a little and slowly letting his upper body slide further over during the course of the next few moments. If Peter noticed, he didn’t look at him or comment. The younger spider eventually slid down more, righting himself by scooting closer to Peter’s end of the couch.</p><p>Miles maintained a carefully neutral, semi-bored expression as Peter glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. The older spider still didn’t say anything, though, so Miles took it as a sign to continue.</p><p>”Ah, yep, yep, he’s a goner. Oof, those special effects, though. What was the budget? Three dollars?” Miles snickered at the incredibly unconvincing “aliens” that paraded goofily across the scene in what was probably meant to be a menacing shot.</p><p>”Hey now, don’t be unfair. It was probably three dollars <i>and</i> the rubber band that held them,” Peter smirked.</p><p>Miles grinned at his reply, noting the happy buzz in the back of his mind that accompanied it. He chanced a glance at the other spider, seeing that Peter had not shifted since he had moved slightly closer.</p><p>Not trying to get away from him, then. His uncharacteristic position did not seem to be for want of personal space.</p><p>”Damn. These aliens aren’t playing around. Look at that one-hundred-percent original ‘space sword’ it’s using. Gotta wonder how they dodged a lawsuit with that.”</p><p>Miles enacted the last part of his plan while Peter was distracted with speaking. He let his upper body slide to the side a little once again, his shoulder now within a few inches of Peter’s.</p><p><i>Your move,</i> he thought, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.</p><p>Nothing happened at first. Then, Peter leaned over, just incrementally, like he was going to move his own shoulder closer, then stopped abruptly. </p><p>
  <i>Ok, what the hell?</i>
</p><p>Miles risked another side-eye at Peter’s face. He looked...unsettled? Was that the right word? Almost like he was trying to make a decision, or having troubling thoughts. He certainly was not making eye contact.</p><p>Something was definitely bothering him.</p><p>”What are you thinking about?” Miles finally asked. Might as well go with a more bold strategy.</p><p>Peter flinched slightly, eyes widening as he looked at Miles in surprise. “Uh, nothing? I mean, the movie, mostly.” He made an attempt at a grin, but Miles could see more going on under his expression.</p><p>”Huh.” He said, looking back to the screen. “Could’ve sworn you looked like you had something on your mind.”</p><p>He let his shoulder bump into Peter’s.</p><p>His mentor took in a soft breath, and Miles felt him press back into his shoulder for a brief second before he suddenly pulled away, leaning back toward his own end of the couch. Miles stared after him, perplexed.</p><p>”What was that?”</p><p>”What was what?” Peter asked, looking the picture of innocence.</p><p>Miles wasn’t buying it. “You started to lean into my shoulder, then jumped away like you’d been burned.”</p><p>”Just fidgety,” Peter said vaguely, looking away back to the screen.</p><p>”You’re avoiding me,” Miles said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Cramming yourself way over there. You never do that. What’s going on?”</p><p>Peter laughed nervously. “Avoiding you? No, I’m not <i>avoiding</i> you, that’s...” he glanced at Miles, then sighed as he was met with an unimpressed gaze. “Ok, fine, I might be avoiding you. Just a little, though!” His trademark look of anxiety was beginning to show full blast now.</p><p>Miles was surprised at how easily he confessed. “Why?” He asked, more perplexed at the idea than offended.</p><p>”Because... Oh God, this is embarrassing... Uh, because I don’t want you to feel like you’re obligated to be close to me?” Peter cringed.</p><p>”Try again,” Miles said, still unimpressed. “That might be part of it—which, if it is, that’s something you shouldn’t be worried about—but I think there’s more to it than that.”</p><p>Peter ran a hand through his hair, chewing the inside of his cheek as he searched for words. Miles waited patiently.</p><p>”I’m just...trying to give you some space, I guess,” he said eventually, his words slow and awkward. “And I’m trying to stay back some because...I’m not sure you really want me to be as clingy as part of me wants to be.” He winced at his final statement.</p><p>Miles waited for him to continue, then realized he wasn’t going to until after further prompting. “Is this part of the spider...thing?” He asked hesitantly.</p><p>Peter nodded, looking rather miserable. “Yeah. It— I mean, <i>I</i> kind of feel...compelled to be close to you. Sometimes. Because it kinda makes my spider-sense ‘happy.’” He used air quotes on the last word, still looking incredibly embarrassed.</p><p>”Oh,” Miles said, understanding coming across his face. “You mean you want to like...snuggle?” He smirked a little despite himself.</p><p>Peter shot him a sour look, then nodded, cringing. “Kind of? Which is like totally pushy and horrible, and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable; hence the reason I’m staying over here. So I don’t end up...being clingy.” Miles could almost swear he saw a faint flush on the older spider’s face from the TV’s light.</p><p>”I want to,” Miles said abruptly, unable to prevent himself from blurting out his instinctual response. “I mean- I don’t mind,” he added as Peter gaped at him. “I kinda feel the same way sometimes, too. Like when we huddled up after I blacked out in the snow. It was...nice.”</p><p>”I- I thought you were just delirious when you said you enjoyed it,” Peter gawked, looking at him almost incredulously. “Because you said something like that that night, but I figured, you know. It was just a result of needing the heat to survive.”</p><p>Miles rolled his eyes. “It might’ve been partly that, but not really. I mean, I’ve always liked being affectionate with people I’m close to. But it’s...kinda different with you. Because of the whole spider thing.”</p><p>Peter blinked, then nodded mutely, still feeling a mixture of embarrassment and relief. At least he wasn’t alone in this.</p><p>”I guess we could make a final determination now, though,” Miles mused, bumping his shoulder into Peter’s. “Getting cozy and seeing if it makes us both feel different.”</p><p>”...Alright,” Peter responded, glancing almost shyly at him. “If you’re sure you’re ok with that. You sure you don’t mind? I don’t want you to feel pressured. I mean, that would be like, really creepy-“</p><p>“Yes,” Miles practically whined in annoyance, scooting over until he was pressed into Peter’s side. “I trust you one-hundred percent, man.”</p><p>“Ok,” Peter sighed, already feeling a rush of content spreading over the back of his mind at the simple contact. “C’mere.”</p><p>He enveloped Miles into his arms, his spider-sense delighting in their sudden proximity as he pulled him closer. Miles immediately snuggled into his mentor’s warmth, pleasantly surprised to find just how easy it was to lean into his welcoming, tender embrace. Peter sighed contentedly, the younger spider’s head coming to rest against his shoulder as they settled in.</p><p>“Seems close enough to how we did it before,” Peter murmured, running his right hand slowly down the length of Miles’ forearm before letting it settle over his protégé’s right hand.</p><p>”Uh-huh...” Miles sighed, letting his eyes slide shut as he felt his sixth sense settle into that delightfully warm buzz.</p><p>“I think it’s safe to say it’s working for me,” Peter whispered, his muscles relaxing as he pressed Miles closer to him. He closed his eyes as well, feeling warmth and satisfaction blossom from his spider-sense as he <i>finally</i> indulged in its neediness for affection. “I’ve got a regular space heater going in my brain.”</p><p>“This doesn’t make any sense scientifically,” Miles muttered, keeping his eyes shut as the movie continued to play somewhere in the background. Peter had started to rub gentle circles with his thumb into the back of his hand. “I don’t think spiders enjoy cuddling.”</p><p>”Probably a by-product of human DNA being mixed in,” Peter replied in an equally hushed voice. “I’d have to do more research...”</p><p>Miles was almost certain he would completely melt away into pure liquid as Peter tilted his left hand up to caress his hair in a slow, soothing motion. His careful touches grew more consistent as Miles leaned into his ministrations, not bothering to hold back his own sigh of content as his sixth sense relished in the attention.</p><p>”This ok?” Peter asked, his voice sounding surprisingly sleepy. “You seemed to enjoy it the other night.”</p><p>”Yeah,” Miles murmured, feeling completely at peace in the other spider’s arms. “This’s really nice.”</p><p>”I’ll wake you up if you fall asleep,” Peter reassured him quietly. “I know you’ve got to get home for school tomorrow.” As he spoke, he released Miles’ hand, leaning forward to the coffee table and grabbing his phone up to set an alarm for about an hour later. He didn’t quite trust himself not to fall asleep like this, either. He smirked slightly as Miles shifted at the movement, making a soft, discontented noise at the loss of contact. He settled after Peter had him completely wrapped into his arms again.</p><p>“Ok...” Miles mumbled after a moment, acknowledging Peter’s words. He didn’t really feel like considering things like <i>school</i> or <i>waking up</i>. All his brain wanted to focus on was the fact that he was wrapped up in an embrace that spoke only of complete <i>comfort</i> and <i>safety</i>. “Can’t believe you were holding out on me with this.” His tired voice held a teasing lilt.</p><p>”I won’t next time if you won’t,” Peter smiled languidly. He didn’t feel that annoying anxiety from before, his spider-sense finally satisfied with having his protégé <i>close</i> and <i>safe</i>. He tilted his head to rest slightly against Miles’, feeling one of the younger spider’s hands wrapping gently around his own once more. </p><p>If he had told himself two years ago that he would be cradling a second Spider-Man in his arms and reveling in their shared sixth sense—one that apparently included built-in cuddling needs from each other—he was pretty sure he would have laughed in his own face.</p><p>His life was nothing if not unpredictable.</p><p>(This was the best kind of unpredictable.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Was this one repetitive to “Cold”? Probably. I mean I’m trying to show that they’re like, progressing and learning more about themselves. Hence the whole “oh shit we both actually enjoy cuddling and being supportive to each other after our incredibly stressful duties as Spider-Man”.</p><p>And also, adorable snuggles. That’s really my weakness. I wrote that part mainly at like, 1AM. I blame my tired, fluff-addicted brain.</p><p> If you thought the tags were exaggerated, then nope. This really is just a dumpster fire of sickening sweetness. Wooo! Burn baby, burn!</p><p>Thanks for reading xD</p><p>P.S. The new fan art tag is for the last chapter! I linked it after this one had been posted already.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Fuzzy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gotta admit, the Bodega Cat suit is definitely one of my top 5. Cute as heck!</p><p>Edit: Now featuring MORE beautiful fanart by KinythCosplay on Tumblr!</p><p>https://kinythcosplay.tumblr.com/post/646128583650230272/bodega-cat-suit-one-of-the-best-suits-of-the-game</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Fuzzy</b>
</p><p>“You’re late,” Peter sing-songed teasingly as he heard the tell-tale <i>thwip</i> of web-shooters and felt his spider-sense hum in recognition.</p><p>He turned around to watch Miles land lightly on the edge of the building, rebalancing himself and standing up to his full height as he approached his mentor. Peter noted that he was wearing an interesting variation of his usual suit. He seemed to have added a sweatshirt over it, his hands coming to automatically clutch the straps of the backpack pulled over the jacket.</p><p>Miles was always finding new ways to change up his suit, Peter mused with a slight smile.</p><p>“Sorry. Had a lot to do at home. Mom needed help getting out the door to a meeting, and then Ganke called, and then I realized I promised I was going to stop by Teo’s-” Miles was slightly out of breath, shifting nervously on his feet as he spoke quickly. “And then there was this mugging on the way, so I had to stop that too, and— yeah. Just kinda busy today.” He paused to breathe, shoulders slumping down as he nervously squeezed his backpack’s straps.</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, it’s fine, I’m just hassling you,” Peter replied, his slight smile turning into a frown. “You didn’t have to come out on patrol today if you were busy.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine, I wanted to,” Miles gestured vaguely with his hands. “Hopefully it’ll help me clear my mind up a little.”</p><p>Peter opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, he heard a peculiar sound. There was a soft, almost snuffling-like sound, and Miles’ backpack shifted ominously.</p><p>“Uh, Miles,” Peter said, lenses widening slightly as he took in the sight of the moving material. “What’s in the bag?”</p><p>Miles stared at him for a second like he wasn’t sure what he was talking about, before shaking his head and quickly saying, “Oh, that’s just-”</p><p>“Meoww!” A fuzzy pair of orange ears suddenly popped up behind his head, a paw reaching from out of nowhere to bat at his shoulder.</p><p>“—Spider-Man,” Miles grinned sheepishly under his mask. “He wanted to go out swinging.”</p><p>Peter gawked as his friend lifted a hand to press an affectionate touch to the cat’s paw, the feline’s foot quickly disappearing as he poked it lightly.</p><p>“Um, what?” was his incredibly eloquent response to the sight.</p><p>“He’s Teo’s cat,” Miles explained, grinning under his own mask as he perceived Peter’s dumbfounded expression through his. “I take him out swinging sometimes. He likes it.”</p><p>“Did you— did you call him <i>Spider-Man?”</i> Peter queried, his brows raising incredulously.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s his name. Look, he’s even got a mask to match,” Miles beamed, pulling off the bag to flip it around to his front like a baby carrier.</p><p>Sure enough, a pair of lenses met Peter’s own as he stepped closer to look into the bag. The older spider shook his head, letting out a guffaw.</p><p>“That’s... really adorable. Though I still have a lot of questions.” Peter raised a hand to count off on his fingers. “How did you find out this cat likes swinging? Are you entirely certain this is the safest occupation for a cat? Does his owner know that you basically cat-napped him to help you fight crime? And finally, did you <i>actually</i> start dressing up a cat as a place-holder for me while I was on my trip?” The last question was accompanied by a raised brow and the beginnings of a smirk.</p><p>”He seemed to enjoy our first adventure and web-slinging together when I rescued him from some goons, I made him a harness in the bag so he definitely won’t fall out, Teo told me I could take him out whenever I wanted to, and— Yeah, he is sort of dressed like you.” Miles stared down at the cat, watching as he licked a paw and rubbed it over his orange ears.</p><p>“So, you’re saying you dressed up a cat to act as a stand-in. Very cool.” The corners of Peter’s mouth turned further up, barely holding back a snicker as Miles jerked back, surprised.</p><p>“I didn’t say that.”</p><p>“Yes you did. You said ‘sort of’ after I asked you if that’s what you had been doing.” Peter crossed his arms smugly, leaning against the brick wall of the stairway entrance to the building.</p><p>“I thought you just meant that I had been putting a mask on him! Which, it’s for a <i>practical</i> reason, you know. It’s to keep his eyes safe.” Miles sent him a sour look.</p><p>“I think you’re deflecting,” Peter teased, watching as Miles petted the cat, the creature letting out another <i>meow</i> as he rubbed his ears. “You saw the perfect opportunity to <i>mimic</i> your <i>dear old mentor,</i> and you took it. I mean, look! Exact same mask, name, and everything!” He gestured to the cat’s face, holding his other hand to his chest in mock offense.</p><p>Miles groaned at his friend’s playful jabs. “I figured you’d be honored to see yet another person with your <i>namesake</i> carrying on the traditional look.” He pulled up the fabric of Spider-Man’s mask to peek at the cat’s green eyes, smiling down at him before pulling the material back down.</p><p>“It’s alright, the wound of being so <i>easily</i> replaced will heal...eventually.” Peter jerked his head to look away dramatically, letting out an exaggerated sniffle.</p><p>“Pffft. You’re such a drama queen sometimes.” Miles snickered. “Here, come say hi.” He lifted the backpack slightly in invitation.</p><p>Peter dropped his act in favor of stepping closer, peering down into the lenses reflecting his own. “Hi, Spider-Man,” he said, cautiously holding out a hand for the cat to sniff. “It is I, your great <i>predecessor.”</i> There he went again with the dramatics, this time opting for a British accent.</p><p>Spider-Man sniffed his hand, tilting his head to the side for a second before extending a paw to abruptly bat away Peter’s hand.</p><p>”Whoa! Easy there.” Peter retracted his hand, laughing at the cat’s immediate rejection of his touch. “Kitty’s got an attitude, eh?”</p><p>“He might take some time to warm up to you,” Miles explained. His tone turned a bit more smug as he added, “That, or he just doesn’t like meeting the competition.”</p><p>Peter chuckled as Miles played into his joke. “Alright. If he’s supposedly the better Spider-Man, let’s see <i>him</i> take down some criminals, then.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t go underestimating him,” Miles smirked. “He’s given more than a few goons something to remember him by.” He mimed a scratching gesture across his face.</p><p>“Yeesh. Hope they weren’t allergic. Guess I’ll have to watch my back from now on.” Peter watched as Miles flipped his backpack again, securing it on his back.</p><p>“Yeah, you better. Don’t go writing him off as not being a worthy member of the spider-gang.” Miles smiled mischievously as Peter shook his head fondly.</p><p>“I’ll consider it,” he said. “Until then, please just make sure that Spider-Man doesn’t take a tumble while swinging.”</p><p>“Yeah, alright,” Miles waved him off. “C’mon, bet I can beat you to Central Park from here.” Without further warning, he launched off the building, a tiny red mask and fuzzy ears peering back at Peter as he sailed away.</p><p>“And here I thought cats liked me,” Peter sighed, following after his friend with a flick of his wrists.</p><p>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope I’m doing alright with the dialogue lol</p><p>Also, the first sentence of this one had so. Many. Hyphens. Just thought that was entertaining. No one said I was a grammar genius xD</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Perceptive</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wrote this one from a different perspective: Rio Morales’, to be exact. I love her character. I think one of my favorite plot points in the second game was how she accepted Miles’ determination to be Spider-Man. She is just so supportive and awesome!</p><p>Also: Injury and more medical-ish stuff in this one, including mentions of needles. I never really go into detail, but it happens.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Perceptive</b>
</p><p>Rio Morales stepped through the doors of F.E.A.S.T., sending a smile and a wave to the person working the front desk before she slipped into the main hall.</p><p>As expected, people were going about their business in the large room; some were sleeping, some were talking and playing board games, some were gathered around the TV near the edge of the room.</p><p> Rio stopped to greet some of the occupants, making small talk before moving on. As she moved through the room, she scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face.</p><p>It wasn’t until she reached the cafeteria, almost empty by this time of night, that she spotted him.</p><p>Miles was just setting down one of the tables against the right wall, Peter lifting one half and him the other. Rio paused to watch as they backed away from it, clearly snickering about something as they walked to pick up the next one in line to be moved.</p><p>Rio watched as Peter broke out into a bright grin, locking eyes with Miles and giving a count down before the two picked up the next table. Her son’s friend let out a strenuous noise, saying something about how <i>heavy</i> the table was, which for some reason made Miles break out into his own smile, biting his lip to suppress a laugh.</p><p>There was a twinkle of what looked almost like mischief in Peter’s eyes, the two slowly carrying the table over to the wall of the room and setting it down next to the first one.</p><p>”Ughhh... My poor muscles might just need a break from all this strain...” Peter sighed, rubbing a hand over a bicep in an almost exaggerated movement.</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Miles replied, smirking at him before his eyes flickered to his mother. His smile became more genuine as he spotted her, and he moved across the room to greet her.</p><p>“Hi, mijo,” she smiled, giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze as he came to stand next to her. “I see you’re very busy here tonight. Need any help?”</p><p>“Nah, Pete and I have got it under control. We’re just moving some of the tables around so that the floor can be cleaned more easily,” Miles explained, glancing back at the disarray of furniture. “We’re almost done.”</p><p>“Well, don’t pull any muscles.” She sent him a knowing smile, perfectly aware of the unlikelihood of Miles straining himself on what were surely minimal weights for his super strength.</p><p>“Only pulled five so far,” Peter called, sending them a grin as he chugged down half a water bottle nearby. “That’s a pretty reasonable minimum, right?”</p><p>“Not in my house, Mr. Parker,” Rio called, her voice unconsciously transforming into a mothering tone. “And somehow I don’t believe that’s the kind of attitude your aunt raised you with, either.”</p><p>Peter laughed softly at that. “No, she didn’t. We’re being careful. Bent knees and everything.” He sent Miles another smile, his hazel eyes sparkling under the overhead lights.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s whatever,” Miles said flippantly, in a way only teenagers seemed to be capable of. “How was your meeting today?”</p><p>“Oh, the usual,” Rio sighed. “Lots of back and forths about the proposal. I think we made progress in convincing some more people, at least.”</p><p>“You’ll convince <i>all</i> of them if you give another speech like last month’s,” Miles replied confidently. “People are <i>still</i> talking about it.”</p><p>“Well, we can hope so, mijo,” Rio replied with a soft smile. She turned her attention back to Miles’ friend, who had stepped away for the moment and now returned, hanging awkwardly off to the side of their conversation.</p><p>“How have you been, Peter? Any word from Mary Jane on her latest work?”</p><p>“Oh, I’ve been fine,” Peter replied, giving her a rather sheepish grin. “Still job hunting. MJ’s been keeping in contact. Sounds like there’s been some pretty big break throughs for the Symkaria peace talks.”</p><p>“That’s wonderful,” Rio beamed. “I’m so glad she’s gotten the opportunity to cover such an important event. I’m sure you have been missing her, though.” She sent him a knowing look, her eyes soft.</p><p>“Yeah, you could say that.” Peter admitted. “I’m definitely looking forward to seeing her again, and hopefully soon. I’ve been keeping myself busy helping around here in the meantime, though.”</p><p>“I can see that,” Rio said, directing her gaze at the room as a whole. “I’m sure that all the people here are eternally grateful for all of your efforts.”</p><p>Peter flushed slightly at that, then shrugged. “It’s a team effort.” He bumped his shoulder into Miles’, and her son grinned, nudging him back.</p><p>“Just give us five more minutes, and I’ll be ready to go,” Miles said, shooting her a bright smile.</p><p>“Alright,” Rio acknowledged. “I’ll go out front and see if Gloria needs any help while I’m waiting.”</p><p>She stepped away, heading back out through the main doors and coming to find the young woman standing near the loading zone with a clipboard. Gloria was speaking to one of the other workers, saying something about another incoming shipment, but turned to give Rio a quick smile as she spoke.</p><p>The other worker jogged away, moving back to a pile of boxes that were being steadily unloaded from the truck. “How have you been doing, Ms. Morales?” Gloria asked, scribbling something on the clipboard before glancing up.</p><p>“I’ve been doing well,” Rio replied. “Just stopping by to check on how things are going. And to make sure Miles plans on coming home at a reasonable hour.” </p><p>Gloria smirked at that, shaking her head as she wrote something else down. “Yeah, the kid’s always determined to stay until every job’s finished. Things have been running pretty smoothly here, and a lot of it’s probably due to his help.” She placed the clipboard on a table and hurried to help unload the truck. “This is the last shipment for tonight, and I think it’s definitely needed.”</p><p>Rio didn’t hesitate to step up and assist with unloading the boxes, chatting with Gloria as they worked. She had gotten to know both Gloria and her partner Steph through F.E.A.S.T., and often saw them both around the neighborhood. There was definitely a certain level of camaraderie that you gained with someone when they unwaveringly protected your son’s secret superhero identity.</p><p>It wasn’t until they were moving the last few boxes to the curb that she glanced up, catching sight of Miles coming through the front doors.</p><p>Peter was following after him, pausing on the front step before sending a quick glance around and speaking to him in what seemed like a quieter tone.</p><p>Miles nodded, the expression on his face turning serious as he replied to whatever it was Peter had said. Then the corners of his mouth turned up, and he flicked Peter’s shoulder, saying something in a lighter tone.</p><p>Whatever he said got a chuckle out of his friend, and they did one of those arm-clasps and shoulder-taps that were essentially a rough approximation of a hug.</p><p>Rio watched them, something nagging at the back of her mind as she took in their figures. There was something oddly familiar about the whole thing.</p><p>Miles pulled away, calling something over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs that made Peter shake his head in fond exasperation.</p><p>Rio smiled as she watched them interact. It was good to see her son smiling so freely.</p><p>———</p><p>It wasn’t until about a week later, when Rio was taking a rare moment to glance at her campaign account’s social media feed, that the same sense of familiarity caused her to raise a brow in surprise.</p><p>Apparently, someone had captured a trending video of the two Spider-Men. The comments and replies were filled with vague tags such as “#Spidergoals” and “#omg”.</p><p>Rio clicked on the video, praying that she would not see her son injured or performing some ridiculous daredevil feat. To her relief, Miles appeared to be fine, his suit untarnished and his feet safely planted on a rooftop.</p><p>He was standing next to the other Spider-Man, staring down at the busy street below as his mentor drank steadily from what looked like a paper coffee cup.</p><p>The older Spider-Man turned and tossed the cup, the camera briefly tilting to show the object sailing into a nearby trashcan. It quickly panned back to the two figures afterward. Judging by the way Miles was moving his hands, he was speaking, though the person recording the video was too far to hear anything. They were likely on another rooftop or balcony.</p><p>Spider-Man appeared to listen to what he was saying, then replied, leaning to the side slightly to bump his shoulder gently into Miles’. Judging by the way that his posture seemed to relax slightly at the brief contact, Miles seemed to find what he said helpful or encouraging.</p><p>Suddenly, both their shoulders tensed at the exact same time, and their heads both turned to the left simultaneously.</p><p>
Rio made a slight face at the sight. It was just a little bit creepy.</p><p>Both Spider-Men prepared to launch off the rooftop, but just before they did, Miles raised a fist, which the other Spider-Man bumped with his own knuckles.</p><p>Then they were gone, leaping off the building with that inhuman grace only they seemed to possess.</p><p>Rio rewinded the video, pausing it on a frame where the two stood side by side. She studied the image, taking in the height difference and postures of her son and the other Spider-Man.</p><p>Miles had not told her who the original Spider-Man was. He hadn’t even explicitly stated if <i>he </i> knew his mentor’s identity or not.</p><p>Rio hadn’t pried. She knew that they wore those masks and kept their identities hidden for a reason.</p><p>Now, though...</p><p>She felt like she knew Spider-Man.</p><p>Unbidden, her mind flashed back to the moment from the week before, when she had watched Peter and Miles standing on the steps of F.E.A.S.T.</p><p>She pictured the way the two interacted, measuring up the height difference and their stances. Her memory was not one-hundred percent accurate, but she had gotten the general idea.</p><p>Rio found herself also thinking about how much stronger their friendship seemed to have grown in such a short time. It was true that Miles was social and friendly, but Rio knew that he forged deep bonds with only a few select people. Ganke was most certainly one of his closest friends, and had been for many years. Peter had seemingly made the list in only a short matter of time.</p><p>It could just be that they felt closer because of their similarly painful experiences during the Devil’s Breath incident. Or, it could be because of something else that they shared...</p><p>Rio’s eyes widened slightly as things began to click into place.</p><p>It was all right there. The voice, the mannerisms, that look of maturity beyond his years that she could sometimes see behind Peter’s eyes. Maturity that he had been forced to grow into too early, because of the immense duty placed upon his shoulders.</p><p>Rio sat in contemplation, setting her phone down on her desk and staring out the window.</p><p>If she was right—and she was almost completely positive that she was—at least she now knew for certain that her son’s mentor was someone trustworthy and kind.</p><p>She considered the possibility of just asking Miles about it, then decided against it. This would sort itself out in time.</p><p>———</p><p>Coincidentally, she did not have to wait very long for her theory to be proven correct.</p><p>At about 12am the next Thursday, she was suddenly woken by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor in Miles’ room.</p><p>It took her a moment to gather her bearings, and by the time she had, Rio heard footsteps passing down the hall and the sound of the bathroom door closing.</p><p>Instantly, she was up, hurrying down the hall and pausing outside the bathroom door. There was a muffled curse from inside just before she knocked, and what sounded like a second voice whispering something hurriedly.</p><p>“Miles?” She asked, fear trickling into her veins. “Estás bien?”</p><p>“Uh, sí, mamá!” Miles sounded panicked, and Rio narrowed her eyes, trying the handle. Miles instantly crowded into the doorframe as she hesitantly pushed the door open.</p><p>“What’s going on? Are you hurt?” Rio demanded, impatient that she couldn’t see her son completely as he held the door partially closed. He was still wearing his spider-suit, save for the mask.</p><p>“No, no, I’m fine!” Miles said quickly, leaning more into the door as Rio pushed at it. “Just, you know. Cleaning up after patrol.” He gave her an attempt at a smile, but it fell rather flat.</p><p>“Miles Morales, deja de mentirme en este mismo instante.” Rio said firmly. “I can see that something is wrong.” Her gaze softened slightly as Miles cringed. “Please let me help, mijo.”</p><p>Miles glanced over his shoulder for a few long seconds, before nodding once and opening the door with a sigh.</p><p>Rio gasped softly at the sight of the second figure sitting on the edge of their bathtub, holding a bloody clump of gauze to his chest.</p><p>Spider-Man raised a shaky hand in greeting. “Hi, Ms. Morales. Sorry to drop in like this...”</p><p>Rio let out a few colorful curse words, stepping past Miles and kneeling down next to his injured friend. “Dios Mio. What happened?”</p><p>“Just a minor bullet wound,” Spider-Man attempted to shrug, then winced, pressing down harder on the hole in his suit. “I wouldn’t normally just barge into your house like this, but Miles kinda insisted. Sorry.” His voice sounded strained.</p><p>“Quit apologizing and hold still,” Rio instructed, tugging his wrist away for a split second so she could analyze the wound. She put his hand back where it had been, glancing at Miles and stating, “Help him hold that there. Keep pressure on it.”</p><p>Miles immediately obeyed, kneeling down next to Spider-Man and taking the gauze from him. His mentor let out what sounded like the start of a soft yelp, before cutting himself off halfway. </p><p>Rio busied herself with pulling her sleeves up and washing her hands, seeing Miles lay a comforting hand on the other Spider-Man’s shoulder out of her peripheral vision.</p><p>Once her hands were sanitized, Rio sat back on the floor, assessing the supplies in the medical kit that was already open next to her. “Can you get the top part of your suit off, or should I cut it?” She asked sharply, fixing Spider-Man with a critical gaze.</p><p>“Er- no,” He said, shaking his head. “I can clean myself up. Just give me the med kit.” He began to undo the top half of his suit, letting out another groan as he roughly yanked the fabric away.</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m willing to bet I’ve taken more first aid courses than the two of you combined. Now lay down on the floor.” Rio was not willing to put up with Spider-Man’s apparent hero complex right now. The man was bleeding profusely, and judging by the shuddering breaths he was taking, was in a lot of pain.</p><p>Understandably so. He had been shot in the abdomen, for God’s sake. Rio wasn’t entirely sure if he wasn’t bleeding internally right now.</p><p> This whole situation would be irrelevant if they could just go to a hospital. She didn’t bother even asking, though, already knowing the answer would be a firm ‘no.’</p><p>Spider-Man started to protest again, but Miles stepped in, grabbing his shoulder. “Come on. She knows what she’s doing.”</p><p>The older spider sighed, but reluctantly pulled himself down to the floor, clearly uncertain as to what he should do. Rio scooted herself and the med kit to the side, indicating for him to lay down on the meager spot of clear space.</p><p>Miles carefully helped Spider-Man lay down, before sitting down on the floor himself and  coaxing Spider-Man to rest his head on his lap.</p><p>“It’s still in the wound, correct?” Rio asked, biting her lip as she glanced at the bullet hole, looking for the tweezers in the kit.</p><p>”Uh-huh,” Spider-Man breathed, his lenses sliding shut as Rio finally fished the pair of tweezers out of the bag and readied them above the wound.</p><p>She glanced up at Miles, a little uncertain. His unwavering nod was enough to fuel her to gently begin to probe the wound, searching for the bullet.</p><p>Spider-Man made a soft, pained gasp, flinching violently. Miles immediately grabbed his shoulders, holding him still.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry,” Spider-Man panted. “Think I’d be used to this sorta thing by now. I’m usually the one pulling the bullets out of myself.”</p><p>“It’s ok,” Miles whispered. He glanced up at his mother, just in time to see her carefully pulling the bullet out.</p><p>Rio set it into the lid of the med kit, wadding more gauze up and pressing it onto the wound.</p><p>“Hold that for me while I wash my hands and get the needle ready,” she told Miles. He did as she asked, lifting one hand to put pressure on the wound once again.</p><p>”Nnnngh. Gonna wish I had that fast-dissolving thread,” Spider-Man mumbled. “Should probably give you some for your kit.”</p><p>“I’ll make sure to bother you about it later,” Miles murmured.</p><p>Rio returned to the floor, readying the disinfectant once she sat down. “I’ll try to make this quick,” she said grimly.</p><p>Spider-Man flinched once again as she began to clean the wound, Miles holding his shoulders to keep him down. His breathing became slightly ragged.</p><p>“Uh, Spider-Man, are you ok?” Miles suddenly asked, his face twisting into an expression of concern.</p><p>“Yeah, ‘m fine,” Spider-Man practically wheezed, his lenses held shut tightly. “Just- just resting.”</p><p>Miles squeezed his shoulders, tentatively releasing one after his mentor’s initial bout of spasms had stopped. He brought a hand to rest gently on the side of Spider-Man’s head, clearly trying to provide some comfort.</p><p>Rio glanced up at them as she finished cleaning his wound. Her lips twisted into a deeper frown as she registered Spider-Man’s still-ragged breaths.</p><p>“Were you hurt anywhere else?” she asked, dousing a needle with the disinfectant and threading it.</p><p>“No,” Spider-Man hissed, his voice weak.</p><p>“Take off his mask,” Rio said offhandedly to Miles as she finished preparing the needle.</p><p>Miles gaped at her. “Ma, no, I can’t-”</p><p>“At least roll it up so he can breathe a little easier!” Rio scolded, her temper flaring uncharacteristically. “It’s not like I don’t have any idea who’s under there anyway.”</p><p>Miles’ eyes bugged out almost comically, at the same time Spider-Man gave a weak “What?”</p><p>“I never told you!” Her son hissed, partly confused and partly concerned.</p><p>”¡Dios Mio! We can discuss this later! Just roll it up before he passes out!” Rio fixed Miles with a look that left no more room for argument.</p><p>He sent her another nervous glance, before carefully rolling up Spider-Man’s mask to just above his nose.</p><p>“Good. Now hold him still again.” Rio instructed.</p><p>The rest of the process went much smoother than the beginning. Rio was careful to make her stitches as neat as possible, wrapping bandaging around Spider-Man’s torso while Miles helped lift him enough to do so.</p><p>At the end of it, Spider-Man sat up slowly, pulling his mask back down in order to completely conceal his face.</p><p>”Thank you,” he said, his voice a little hoarse as he addressed Rio. She sent him a tired, slightly exasperated smile. Mostly, her expression was one of relief.</p><p>“You’re welcome. Miles, can you put a towel out so he doesn’t get blood on Abuela’s couch?”</p><p>Miles nodded, helping his mentor to sit up and lean against the tub again before hurrying out of the room. Spider-Man watched him go silently. His gaze leveled back to Rio’s, and she got the impression he was hesitating.</p><p>“Do you...actually know who I am?”</p><p>“Well, I have my guesses.” She raised her brows, finishing packing up the med kit.</p><p>“Did anyone...tell you?” His voice held a note of trepidation to it.</p><p>Rio scoffed. “No. I do have eyes—and ears— though.”</p><p>Spider-Man hesitated again, then slowly asked, “So who do you think I am?”</p><p>Ms. Morales resisted the urge to sigh. “Someone who needs to throw himself in front of guns less often.”</p><p>Miles returned in that moment, glancing between them with a nervous energy. “Let me help you up,” he said, coming into the room and offering a hand to Spider-Man. The older spider accepted it, getting to his feet and leaning into Miles slightly as he led him out of the bathroom and into the living room. Rio followed closely.</p><p>“I won’t stay long,” Spider-Man said, his voice nervous. “I’m not trying to intrude-”</p><p>“You’re not. Now lay down and shush.” Miles sounded slightly annoyed, helping the older spider down onto their couch.</p><p>Rio let them settle for a moment, then shooed Miles away to go change out of his suit and gather his bearings.</p><p>She stepped closer to Spider-Man, resting a hand on his shoulder briefly. “You have done a good job of watching over Miles, and I can see all the ways in which you have taught him well. You will always be welcome in our home, Peter.”</p><p>Spider-Man’s breath hitched slightly, but then he relaxed, and lifted a hand to pull away his mask.</p><p>Peter looked at her with tired eyes, though he managed a weak smile. “Thank you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Google translate was used for any Spanish, so of course it will be 100% CoMplEtelY AcCurate...<br/>(Yeah, no, it’s probably terribly written. Apologies if it is incorrect.)</p><p>———<br/>Translation:</p><p>“deja de mentirme en este mismo instante” - “Stop lying to me right now.”<br/>———<br/>Also, I’m sure there’s like...tons of medical inaccuracies. I mean, I tried to make it convincing, but is it? Probably not lol</p><p>Thanks for reading :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Vocalization</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Another spider traits chapter! The author might be getting addicted to finding more niche little spider facts to incorporate for fluff...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So much for the random word generator. I’ve just started picking a random word that matches the theme for what I decide to write. I mean, I’ve still got plans for the other ones that actually came from the generator...but this is what I just really wanted to write lolllll</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Vocalization</b>
</p><p>Miles ducked under a punch thrown at his face, sending a well-aimed kick at his attacker’s chest to send him flying back a few feet. He barely had time to recover, flipping out of the way as another criminal sent a rain of bullets down upon him.</p><p>He webbed the gun out of the guy’s hand, giving his throw some extra momentum by swinging it around on a web-line and smacking it back into the criminal’s temple.</p><p>Patrol had turned rather nasty after discovering a shady meeting going down in this back alley.</p><p>Miles knocked a few more thugs down, sending a quick, searching glance for his counterpart as he did so. Peter had disappeared down one of the other alleyways that branched off from this one, the grunts and punches from his own fight audible when Miles focused on the input from his advanced hearing.</p><p>“Too slow,” he mocked one of the criminals who made a wild slash at him with a knife. He webbed the man’s arm to the brick wall, quickly pinning him down with more webbing afterwards. He ignored his curses, sending one more glance up and down the alley before jogging around the corner to look for Peter.</p><p>Just as he turned the corner, Miles’ spider-sense twitched in what he had come to classify as the ‘danger’ category (not to be confused with his apparent connection with Peter), and his lenses widened as he caught sight of the scene before him.</p><p>Peter was flipping over the head of one enemy, firing a web and yanking the guy roughly into the unforgiving brick wall. As the older spider landed neatly, another goon rushed him with a crowbar, making Peter turn to face him.</p><p>What his mentor didn’t seem to see, though, was the snarling brute cocking a pistol and aiming <i>directly</i> at Peter’s head.</p><p>Miles didn’t pause to wonder if the other spider was parsing through his own spider-sense’s warning of danger that was surely coming from both behind and in front of him.</p><p>To be honest, he wasn’t entirely sure <i>what</i> happened—or rather, overtook himself—in the next moment.</p><p>(Later, he would probably describe it as a fierce desire to <i>protect.</i>)</p><p>Miles’ lips drew into a fierce snarl under his mask, and an inhuman <i>hiss</i> escaped from his mouth.</p><p>His right hand darted out, a strand of webbing instantly snapping the gun from the criminal’s hands. It collided harshly into one of the walls, going off with a bang and sending a bullet hurtling into a nearby dumpster.</p><p>Miles ruthlessly launched forward, sailing past Peter and the goon the other spider was fighting. He instinctually transitioned into a swing-kick, his feet mercilessly colliding into the brute’s face with great force.</p><p>The man yelled in pain, smacking into the pavement. He was knocked unconscious instantly.</p><p>Miles landed in a low crouch, whipping around to survey the scene for more threats. His senses felt dialed up to a hundred; every slight shadow was a threat that he needed to attack.</p><p>His eyes darted briefly to Peter, just in time to see his mentor knocking the last goon to the floor. Anxiety gripped him as he registered the feeling of panic that had gripped him at seeing his mentor in danger just seconds earlier.</p><p>“Miles?” Peter called softly, turning to face him. It was dark in the alley, his protégé’s suit concealing him well in the shadows.</p><p>Miles blinked, his brain feeling scrambled as it tried to register the fading panic, the anxiety, the danger, <i>everything.</i> It was all too much...</p><p>He needed to get his thoughts under control; his spider-sense was quiet now. There wasn’t any more danger. He should be relaxing now, but the all-consuming adrenaline wouldn’t quite leave his system.</p><p>Miles shut his eyes briefly, trying to untangle his convoluted thoughts. All of that panic and need to fight, released so <i>quickly</i>, was dizzying.</p><p>He didn’t register Peter moving closer, his lenses narrowing slightly as he took in Miles’ defensive, still battle-ready crouch low on the floor.</p><p>Miles felt his already muddled thoughts fly into a worse whirlwind as a hand suddenly reached for him out of nowhere. He immediately registered it as another attack, his muscles tensing as he recoiled, preparing to respond accordingly.</p><p>His spider-sense stopped him.</p><p>
  <i>Not an enemy,</i> it seemed to whisper to him. <i>Same, same, same...</i>
</p><p>Miles shivered, and let out a sound that could only be described as a soft <i>chirp</i>.</p><p>The other spider froze, tensing for only a second before something instinctual stirred deep within him. Unconsciously, a soft croon suddenly bubbled up from his own vocal chords in imitation of the sound his spiderling— No, <i>Miles</i>—had just made.</p><p>Miles relaxed immediately, confusion still muddling his mind, but a deep reassurance resounding from his inhuman instincts. He pulled his limbs out of his tense posture, balancing on his toes as he settled into a more relaxed crouch, similar to how he perched on building tops.</p><p>Peter knelt down in front of him, not caring that he was probably kneeling in the filth of the alleyway as he stared at Miles with wide lenses.</p><p>“Uh...Miles?”</p><p>Miles was pulled from the fog of his turmoiled mind, his own lenses focusing on Peter’s. “H-hey.”</p><p>“Are you ok?”</p><p>Miles took a soft breath. “Yeah. I think so. Are you?”</p><p>“Yeah, just...very confused.”</p><p>The younger spider let out a soft, nervous laugh. “That makes two of us.”</p><p>———</p><p>A few interesting internet searches later, and they found out that yes, certain kinds of spiders did indeed communicate vocally.</p><p>“Did the people who engineered the spiders that bit us just mix every kind of spider under the sun into one creepy mutant spider?” Peter asked, making a face as he read through the article. “Why are we both displaying so many of these weird traits? And why the hell didn’t I notice or realize any of this stuff until there were two of us?”</p><p>“Our dumbass spider halves just like each other, I guess,” Miles groaned. “Once that part of us recognized another of our kind, they just went ‘Screw it, let’s make this as embarrassing and weird for them as possible.’”</p><p>“Well, at least we haven’t tried to cannibalize  each other yet,” Peter replied, eyes still fixed on his phone’s screen. “Because that seems to be what those little chirping noises were to prevent. You know, so spiders of the same species recognize each other and don’t prey on the other one.”</p><p>“Oh of <i>course</i>,” Miles replied sarcastically, making a face as he fiddled with one of his web-shooters. “<i>Everyone</i> knows spiders do <i>that.</i>”</p><p>“At least we’re learning something interesting?” Peter closed the browser, turning to face Miles with a resigned expression. “I’m sorry that you have to deal with all this weird stuff.” He paused, trying to keep his expression from dropping as he added, “If...all of this is making you uncomfortable, I would understand if you want to cut back on—or skip—patrols together.”</p><p>Miles was jolted out of his semi-distracted thought process by Peter’s words. He sent him a surprised look, then shook his head firmly. “No way. All of this is...strange and all, but I’m not bailing on you just because we happen to bring out the creepy-crawly side of each other. And sure, it might be weird, but it’s <i>our</i> weird. We just gotta keep owning it.” He smirked a little at the end, raising his brows at his mentor pointedly.</p><p>Peter met Miles’ gaze, his anxiety eased in the face of his friend’s unwavering certainty. He still didn’t know what he had done to deserve that sort of devotion and kindness.</p><p>“Yeah,” he said, biting his lip and nodding as he glanced away. “Own it.” His eyes flickered back to Miles’, and he added softly, “I’m lucky to have you, Miles. You never shy away from any of the craziness this job throws at you. If I had to pick someone to share this connection with, it would always be you. Every time.”</p><p>Miles felt himself flush slightly at the emotional, gentle tone of Peter’s words. He tapped his knuckles against his mentor’s right shoulder, trying to hide his embarrassment.</p><p>“Thanks, man. Means a lot to me, too.”</p><p>Peter smiled, reaching to ruffle Miles’ hair affectionately. “Get on home now, Spiderling.”</p><p>“Ugh. And just when I thought we were having a moment there.” Miles groaned, pulling his mask back on and preparing to launch off the rooftop they had stopped on.</p><p>Just before he left, he paused, turning to add, “Also, there was one other thing...”</p><p>“Yeah?” Peter asked, his own mask back in place as he tilted his head questioningly.</p><p>“I sorta...hissed,” Miles admitted. “During the fight. Right before I got all riled up. Which, sorry about that, by the way.”</p><p>He wasn’t quite expecting Peter to laugh at that.</p><p>“Everyone loses their cool in a fight sometimes. It’s not a big deal. Just don’t sprout fangs, and I think we’ll be ok.”</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, think I can do that. I hope. At this rate, though, who knows?” Miles shrugged before falling backwards off the roof, letting gravity take its hold and pull him towards the street below. He shot off a web and swung back upwards, sending a salute to Peter as he webbed away.</p><p>“I’ll start keeping garlic on hand just in case!” The older spider called after him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Long af author’s note incoming:</p><p>I’ve seen a bunch of fics where Spider-Man purrs (which, aww, omg), so it caused me to do a little research on spiders making noise. Turns out, yes, one species (or more?) does! The <i>Palpimanus</i> spider species, to be exact. Here’s the link to the video where you can apparently hear them:</p><p>https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=38RuRl0zsqs</p><p>(Wikipedia was my backup source for this fact to make sure the video didn’t just have edited-in sounds or something.)</p><p>Also, pray for my eyeballs, because holy crap. You see a lot of creepy as heck bug pictures when researching this kinda thing. The ones in the video are actually a little cute, sorta like jumping spiders. </p><p>I know spiders are super duper important for the environment and stuff, but some of them can be pretty gross. xD As long as they keep their distance, I’ll be happy.</p><p>Also PS I’m posting this at like 1am so if there’s blatant discontinuities and mistakes, that would be why lmao</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heads up: If you haven’t played completely through the story of the first game, this chapter’s got major spoilers for the ending.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Dark</b>
</p><p>“Best seats in the house, baby!” Ganke whispered, his glasses reflecting the projected screen in front of them as he sat down.</p><p>Miles snickered, feeling light and relaxed as he shimmied into his own seat, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth after he had settled.</p><p>They had splurged on getting one of the biggest buckets of popcorn, celebrating the rare evening of goofing off by purchasing copious amounts of junk food. One of those ‘monster vs. monster’ kinds of movies had just come out, and Ganke had persuaded Miles to go see it. Miles had been hesitant at first, but his friend’s enthusiasm had convinced him to take a night off for once. After all, it was Friday.</p><p>He couldn’t even quite remember the name of the movie, and was pretty sure he hadn’t seen the first two. In all honesty, though, Miles was just glad to have an opportunity to relax.</p><p>The long line of trailers and ads had finally stopped playing, and the movie was only five minutes in, when Miles felt his phone buzz in his pocket.</p><p>He bit back a groan. Well, so much for a few hours of peace.</p><p>He whispered to Ganke that he would be right back, before slipping down the row, apologizing to the people who sent him annoyed looks as he inched by.</p><p>Miles jogged out into the main hallway of the theater, leaning against the wall and opening his messaging app.</p><p>His heart leapt into his throat at the text that greeted him.</p><p>
  <i>Blackout at the Raft. I’m heading there now. Sorry to disturb your night off, but it might be a good idea to suit up.</i> From Pete.
</p><p>Miles bit his lip, sending a quick confirmation before slipping his phone back into his pocket.</p><p>He needed to tell Ganke where he was going.</p><p>Miles turned on his heel, aiming to walk back into the theater, but was greeted by the sight of Ganke already coming through the double doors, looking at him with concern.</p><p>“Everything ok?”</p><p>“No,” Miles replied, frowning. “There’s a blackout at the Raft. I have to go.”</p><p>“Oh man,” Ganke breathed, eyes widening. “Isn’t this the sort of thing that happened-”</p><p>“When all the super villains broke out? Yeah, something like that. Might be Electro-related.” Miles ran an anxious hand over his hair, backing toward the exit. “I’m sorry to bail on you, bro.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about that,” Ganke insisted firmly. “I’ll be on standby in case you need your ‘Guy in the Chair.’”</p><p>Miles gave him a slight smile, nodding once before ducking outside. He slipped into the alley, beginning to pull off his coat and going to lift his shirt before a voice made him freeze.</p><p>“Kid, I don’t know what you’re about to do, but you might wanna do it somewhere else.”</p><p>Miles felt his face heat up as he spotted what was surely a theater employee leaning against the building further down, holding a cigarette between her fingers and sending him an unimpressed gaze.</p><p>“Uh, right, right. Perdón!” He pulled his jacket back on as he immediately jogged back onto the main street, going with the flow of pedestrians until he reached another alley.</p><p>This time, he glanced up and down it before climbing one of the buildings and changing on the roof.</p><p>Wearing his suit underneath his clothes might be uncomfortable, but he was <i>really</i> glad he had it right now.</p><p>Stashing his civilian clothes under a rooftop bench to retrieve later, Miles webbed away, heading  east for the Raft. He could see a few helicopters circling it in the distance, shining their spotlights down on the building as they patrolled the skies around it.</p><p>His suit’s built-in phone system rang as he drew closer. It was his mother.</p><p>“Miles? Estas bien? They’re saying on the news that there’s been a huge blackout on the Raft. Are you there now?”</p><p>“No, mamá, but I’m heading that way. Pete asked me to meet him on the bridge that runs by it.” Miles felt a tendril of anxiety curl through his stomach as he thought of the high level of danger he and his mentor were about to be in.</p><p>There was a pause on the other end of the line, and he was certain he heard his mother take a shaky breath. “Do you know what caused it?”</p><p>“No. But we have to be there to make sure there’s not another breakout. We’ve gotta protect the city.” Miles laced his determination into his voice, hoping she did not hear any hint of the underlying trepidation he was feeling.</p><p>“I know, mijo. Just... Don’t... Don’t get hurt, ok? Tu seguridad también es importante. And Peter’s.”</p><p>“I’ll be careful,” Miles replied, deliberately avoiding making a promise about his safety that he was not certain he could keep. “Te quiero.”</p><p>Another soft breath, then, “Te quiero, Mi Amor.”</p><p>Almost as soon as he had hung up, his phone rang again. This time it was Pete.</p><p>“Hey bro, I’m almost at the bridge now,” Miles said, web-launching off a building’s edge to catapult himself along faster.</p><p>“Alright, sounds good,” Peter replied. Miles didn’t miss how tense his voice was. “I haven’t received any updates on what’s going on, but from what I can see, there hasn’t been any major break outs yet. Last time there were a lot more fireworks.”</p><p>“Yeah, I remember seeing it on the news,” Miles replied nervously. “We got a game plan?”</p><p>“I know the warden. As far as I’m aware, we’re on pretty good terms. That’s a start, assuming there’s not any special villain guest appearances until we get there.”</p><p>“Ok, so we just...<i>ask</i> if they need help?” Miles questioned.</p><p>“Well, it’s a pretty big place, and it might be difficult to find the source of the trouble if it’s a stealthy attacker. So yeah.”</p><p>“Sounds like... a kinda lackluster plan. I don’t have anything better, though, so I’m game.” The younger spider caught sight of the red and blue figure waiting for him on the top support beams of the bridge.</p><p>He hesitated when Peter didn’t launch off to join him in swinging, instead gesturing for him to land.</p><p>Miles fumbled a little in his landing, not expecting to have to slow down so soon, but quickly regained his balance nonetheless. He sent his mentor a questioning glance through his mask.</p><p>“Uh...Aren’t we kinda in a hurry?”</p><p>“Yes, but I need to talk to you about something first,” Peter said seriously, stepping forward and laying both of his hands on Miles’ shoulders.</p><p>Miles frowned at the gesture, uncertainty tugging at him as Peter took a deep breath.</p><p>“I’ve fought a lot of the criminals in there, Miles. The regular humans are one thing, but the enhanced ones are something else. They are <i>ruthless.</i> We can take them on one or two at a time, but if they all team up? Not a chance. Which is why I need you to promise me that if I tell you to run, you’ll listen. Get out of there no matter what. Don’t stop to try and fight them. <i>They will kill you</i>.”</p><p>Miles’ eyes widened, his breath hitching at Peter’s words. “Pete-”</p><p>“<i>Promise,”</i> Peter practically snapped, his voice tinged with emotion.</p><p>Miles paused, gazing into the lenses that reflected his own, then replied softly, “I promise.”</p><p>“Ok,” Peter said, his voice softer as he squeezed his shoulders lightly and released him, preparing to swing down the length of the bridge. “Thank you. Let’s go.”</p><p>Miles followed after him, a feeling of nausea tugging at his stomach until he forced himself into his ‘superhero’ thought process. He had to focus on the mission, not the worry that had been dredged up by Peter’s words.</p><p>Ahead of him, Peter was in his own inner state of turmoil, anxiety pulling at him from all directions. Part of him felt bad for forcing Miles into making that promise, and the other part was certain that he had done the right thing.</p><p>He wasn’t trying to scare the younger spider. Having a certain level of fear would be healthy for ensuring he knew the level of risk here, though.</p><p>If it came to it, there was no hesitation in Peter’s mind that he would willingly lay down his own life if it meant Miles could live.</p><p>They finally sailed off the bridge, flying over the water before web-zipping onto the exterior of the foreboding fortress. Peter narrowed his lenses as they traversed to the front of the prison, searching for a familiar face among the many guards swarming about.</p><p>He finally spotted the figure of Warden Sisko. The man was standing behind what appeared to be a large group of engineers and workers, calling and shouting as they worked on a dug-up patch of concrete that had several thick cables deep in the ground. The two spiders swung toward him, landing lightly on the untarnished cement and stepping closer.</p><p>“Evening, Warden,” Peter called carefully, not batting an eye as several nearby guards immediately aimed at him and Miles.</p><p>Sisko jumped slightly, then narrowed his eyes, taking in the sight of them before raising a hand and waving the guards off. They lowered their weapons hesitantly, resuming their wandering patrol of the road.</p><p>“Spider-Man,” he said warily, sending Miles a glance before focusing back on Peter. “Why am I not surprised to see you here?”</p><p>“Well, we just happened to be in the neighborhood; noticed you were having some power issues. What’s going on?”</p><p>“Electrical system’s malfunctioning,” Sisko replied after sending another scrutinizing gaze over the two. “We don’t know if it’s an attack or not, yet. Got full coverage and guards patrolling the exterior. What concerns me, though, is the shortage of staff <i>inside.</i> I don’t need to tell you that there’s a lotta...<i>special</i> people being contained in there.”</p><p>“So you’re saying you need some extra volunteers?”</p><p>Sisko raised a brow. “Legally, I’m not saying anything, because you’re a vigilante, and I’m a certified enforcer of the law. However, if you were to slip into a side door in the main courtyard, I’d be too far away to see anything.” He turned his gaze back to the bustling group of workers.</p><p>“Riiight. Of course,” Peter replied, nodding sagely before turning on his heel and webbing back onto one of the walls. Miles followed after him, the two being careful to avoid the many searchlights scanning the building.</p><p>“What now?” Miles asked, already suspecting the answer.</p><p>Peter scanned the courtyard below, biting his lip under his mask. “We go in.”</p><p>They slipped in through a relatively unguarded door, distracting the guard with a web shot off into the distance. Luckily, no alarms blared. Probably a side effect of the power being out.</p><p>Dim, red emergency lights were the only intermittent source of any illumination. They had to weave through several corridors containing offices before they reached the actual prison section of the place.</p><p>Slipping by patrols was relatively easy; Miles used his camouflage and Peter simply climbed to the ceiling. It was when they reached a long, unending corridor lined with thick metal doors that they faltered.</p><p>“If my memory is right, these should be the kinds of cells where they keep the less risky criminals,” Peter whispered. The corridor was eerily silent, all of the barred windows on the doors slid tightly shut.</p><p>“So if we split up, we should be able to get a thorough look around,” Miles whispered in reply.</p><p>Peter tensed at that. Before he could argue, though, Miles stepped to face him, pulling his shoulders back and meeting his gaze steadily.</p><p>“I can do this, you know. I’m up for it. I took down <i>Rhino</i> before.”</p><p>Peter didn’t reply for a moment, before shaking his head. “I don’t know-”</p><p>“Pete. I got this. I’ll be <i>fine.</i> Come on, you know this is the most logical way to do it.” Miles’ voice was imploring.</p><p>“...Fine. But keep your comm on. I want to hear from you at the first sign of trouble.”</p><p>Miles relaxed, sending him a quick nod before turning, slipping into the shadows as he went right.</p><p>Peter watched him go for a second, hesitating. Then he forced himself to turn the other way, stepping cautiously forward and extending out his senses for any sounds or signs of danger.</p><p>———</p><p>The prison was pretty damn creepy, Miles had to admit to himself.</p><p>If he listened closely, he could hear some of the inmates thunking about in their cells, talking amongst their cellmates as they wondered about the blackout.</p><p>Apart from that, the only other sounds were the intermittent patrols in the distance and his own breathing and footsteps.</p><p>About ten minutes away from where they had split up, Miles lost his suit’s connection with Peter’s. He supposed that the almost impenetrable walls of the prison were not built with the intention of cell service.</p><p>He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the terrible ‘cell’ service pun Pete <i>totally</i> would have made there.</p><p>The corridor led into several larger rooms a few times, ones that had more specialized cells to contain the super-powered henchmen and higher-ranking villains. Miles used his camouflage whenever guards were nearby, but had to endure the yells and taunts of the prisoners that caught sight of him when he passed through the larger rooms. </p><p>He got to see Scorpion and Vulture pacing or sitting in their cells, making sure to keep out of their sight as he slipped by. Appearing to them didn’t seem like the best idea.</p><p>There were no signs of apparent trouble; no one was breaking into any cells or running through the corridors.</p><p>It felt like he was going into the deepest bowels of the building when Miles noticed a discrepancy in another long hallway of iron doors.</p><p>There was a larger entranceway left gaping open. From what he could tell, Miles guessed that it should normally be shut, judging by the bottom of the iron door peeking out from the ceiling. It was probably an electrically-operated mechanism, and had malfunctioned when the power went out.</p><p>He hesitated, glancing up and down the corridor again before slowly slipping inside.</p><p>This hallway was narrower than the one he had just been in, and soon led to a more open space. The room was empty of guards, so he didn’t bother to activate his camouflage, simply noting the two glass walls on either side of the room.</p><p>More cells, he realized. His curiosity won out and he approached one, peering cautiously in.</p><p>A large, metal box sat in the middle of the cell. It almost looked like an upright sarcophagus. There was a tiny window, where a strange white light was faintly glowing from within. </p><p>Miles’ heart was suddenly in his throat as he realized exactly <i>why</i> that light would be coming from inside it. Someone was in there, illuminated by cold white energy. Someone whose face he would never forget.</p><p>Martin Li, the man responsible for <i>killing his father.</i></p><p>Miles felt his hands clench into fists, forcing himself to look away from the sight. He couldn’t allow his emotions to get the better of him.</p><p>Just as he was preparing to turn away from the glass, a sudden voice broke the eery silence.</p><p>“He can’t see you. They keep him heavily sedated.”</p><p>Immediately, Miles whirled to face the source of the voice. It had come from inside the other cell, and he had to step closer to discern the figure inside.</p><p>A pair of spectacles caught and reflected the slow, red blinks of the emergency lights, and Miles’ advanced eyesight finally adjusted enough to recognize the face behind the glass.</p><p>Otto Octavius—another <i>killer</i>—sat in a wheelchair, his sickly appearance accentuated by the strange lighting. </p><p>And unlike Mr. Negative, he was very much awake.</p><p>“I see Spider-Man has no qualms about bringing the newbie to such a dangerous place,” Otto gave him a dry smirk, his voice weak but his eyes sharp. “Seems like an awfully high-stakes mission for his precious <i>protégé.</i>”</p><p>“I’m not new,” Miles replied coldly, his lenses narrowing slightly. “And I can definitely handle the likes of you.”</p><p>That just made the doctor wheeze out a croaky laugh.</p><p>“You certainly don’t lack the arrogance of your mentor.”</p><p>“I don’t have time for this,” Miles growled, turning on his heel and stalking towards the door. He found himself pausing at the doctor’s next words.</p><p>“Do you know who he is under that mask?”</p><p>Miles turned his head slightly, gazing at Otto out of the corner of his eye. He felt a sudden spark of anger ignite in him, and didn’t hesitate to reply with a slight bite in his words.</p><p>“Someone strong enough to clean up after all of <i>your</i> mistakes.”</p><p>“Ah, quite the pointed answer. I was thinking of a different one, though.” Octavius grinned, his expression almost maniacal under the red lights. “If I’m correct, though, I’m willing to bet that Peter was <i>eager</i> to share his secret with you.” The doctor paused, considering for a moment. </p><p>Miles felt frozen in place, his thoughts disorganized as he tried not to let his panic show at the casual mention of his mentor’s secret identity. Peter had once told him that Octavius <i>knew</i>—this exploitive tactic shouldn’t be a surprise. It still disturbed him, though.</p><p>“Judging by your lack of reaction, I suppose I was right. He’s clingy like that,” Otto’s cold smile pierced through the glass and right into Miles’ heart. “Always looking for belonging wherever he goes. I’m sure he already thinks of you as <i>family.</i>” His eyes narrowed cruelly as he practically hissed the word out. “It’s likely due to the lack of <i>real</i> family he’s had in life.”</p><p>“That’s pretty damn presumptuous to try and define a concept you probably don’t even understand like that,” Miles didn’t bother to reign in the derision in his voice. He knew his words were nasty, and possibly untrue.</p><p>There was a small voice in him that wanted to <i>hurt</i> this man, though. Hurt him, like he had hurt Peter.</p><p>“Perhaps. You know, I could see, though, mere <i>months</i> after we met, that he already thought of me as a <i>father figure</i>.” After the sneered phrase, he paused again, letting out a brief chuckle. “At least, until he realized my motives no longer fit with his <i>limited</i> agenda.”</p><p>Miles said nothing, standing stock still. Part of him was screaming for him to leave. The other was locked in place by the doctor’s disgustingly cruel words.</p><p>“I pity you in some ways,” Dr. Octavius mused. “If you truly know who is under that mask, then you should already realize that you are destined for bitter disappointment. He will systematically ruin you, just like he has ruined everything and everyone else in his life. My advice? Get away from Parker as fast as you can. Save yourself the hassle of dealing with his <i>self-centered</i> ambitions.”</p><p>Disgust curled in Miles at his words. He tilted his head up once in a mock acknowledgement, glancing to the side slowly as he spoke.</p><p> “Funny. From what I’ve seen, <i>you</i> were the one who let <i>him</i> down with your ‘self-centered ambitions’.” He turned his gaze back to the doctor pointedly, letting his own coldness drip into his words.</p><p>Octavius raised his brows, grinning with an unbothered expression at Miles’ words.</p><p>“I’m sure that’s exactly what he told you. After all, you are the perfect audience for him to bemoan his ‘suffering’ to. Suffering that he himself is solely responsible for!”</p><p>Miles opened his mouth to reply, but a third voice suddenly called out from down the hallway he had entered through.</p><p>“Mi- Spider-Man?” Peter called out worriedly, and Miles immediately turned to face his mentor as he appeared. It took Peter a second to register the other figure behind the glass, and when he did, he stopped short, frozen.</p><p>“Hello, <i>Spider-Man</i>,” Otto sent him an unnerving grin. “I’ve just been getting acquainted with your young friend here. It  seems you’ve quite convinced him of your <i>angelic</i> status.”</p><p>Immediately, Peter stepped closer to Miles, placing himself a little in front of the younger spider. Octavius just scoffed at his protective stance.</p><p>“Leave him out of this,” Peter hissed, anger coloring his voice.</p><p>Otto laughed at that, his cackle sounding deranged as it echoed inside his cell. “Me? <i>You</i> were the one who brought him into all of this as soon as you gave him that mask!” His tone became mocking. “So bold of you, always shifting the blame for your mistakes onto others. I’m not the one forcing a child to play vigilante!”</p><p>“I am <i>not</i>—” Miles was cutoff by his mentor before he could finish.</p><p>“We are <i>leaving</i>.” Peter grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the hallway.</p><p>“Did you tell him, Peter?” Otto called after them, his expression resembling the cat who ate the canary. “Did you tell him about all of the people you <i>failed?</i> About how much of a <i>traitor</i> and a <i>thieving coward</i> you are? At least give him a little warning, so he knows just how much you will disappoint him!”</p><p>Peter pushed Miles toward the hallway, waiting for him to keep moving before stopping near the entrance. He stalked back to Otto’s cell, his jaw clenched tightly under his mask.</p><p>“I did everything in my power to fix what <i>you</i> did,” Peter hissed, his lenses narrowing to slits. He raised a finger, jabbing it toward Octavius. “All of those innocent people died because of <i>your selfish actions</i>, not mine.” Unconsciously, his tone lowered slightly as he added, “And I <i>never</i> betrayed you. You did that before I ever could.”</p><p>Otto sent him an unimpressed gaze. “Is that how you sleep at night, then? Telling yourself that you’re never responsible for any of the carnage or pain? Let me tell you something, <i>Peter.</i> You will fail him, just like you failed <i>me.</i> And I will anxiously await the day when he finally sees the truth. Because after everything, it’s what you <i>deserve.</i></p><p>Octavius leaned slightly closer in his chair, and though his body was shaky and weak, his eyes never left Peter’s mask for a second. “I won’t ever need to tell your <i>secret.</i> I’m happy to let <i>you</i> be the reason for your own undoing.”</p><p>Peter tried to block out the unexpected pain that jabbed at his heart. Hearing the man he had once considered a mentor, a friend—almost a <i>father</i>— speaking so hatefully... It brought back all of the pain of the night they had fought each other.</p><p>He tried not to let it show.</p><p>“I’m sorry to see you like this, Doc,” he replied softly. “I hope you can find peace one day.” He turned to leave, while Octavius sneered.</p><p>“Oh yes, because you care <i>so much</i>! You took my arms! You knew that I would be <i>useless</i> without them! I’m wasting away in this diseased body because of <i>you</i>!”</p><p>“Those arms never could have helped you,” Peter snapped, not bothering to stop as he stalked toward the door. “They were part of what made your mind into the way it is now.”</p><p>“Whatever makes you feel better, Parker!” Octavius clenched a weak fist on the arm of his chair. “I know how much your fabricated little justice system means to you.” His malicious smile returned as he added, “Do tell May I said ‘hello!’”</p><p>Peter stopped just as he entered the hallway, slowly turning one last time.</p><p>He took in the sight of Octavius’ broad smirk as he watched him.</p><p>Almost like he knew.</p><p>(And didn’t that bring up more <i>memories</i>.)</p><p>“I don’t have to,” Peter said in a dangerously soft voice. “The Devil’s Breath took her.”</p><p>He didn’t wait to see Otto’s reaction, simply walking away and back out into the main hallway.</p><p>He wasn’t even aware that he was still moving, aimlessly picking a direction and stalking down the corridor, before a hand suddenly caught his wrist.</p><p>Peter went with his first instinct to shake the owner off, not even checking his super strength, which made the other person yelp.</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, chill, it’s me,” Miles said quickly, his mentor finally stopping to face him. Peter’s entire body was tense, his lenses unreadable. “You ok?” Miles asked tentatively, taking in his posture.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Peter said, his voice stony. It was so out of character that Miles loosened his hold on his wrist out of surprise.</p><p>There was a sudden <i>bang</i> from the overhead lights, and the power came back on.</p><p>“Oh good,” Peter said blankly. “Come on, let’s go.”</p><p>“Ok,” Miles replied almost meekly, at a loss for words as he followed behind his mentor’s brisk steps.</p><p>Upon slipping out of the prison, they found the warden again, Peter seeming to partially pull himself out of his funk to address him as they approached.</p><p>“What was the verdict?”</p><p>Sisko was scowling as he turned to face them. “We got the whole system operational again, but it was definitely tampered with. Electro escaped.”</p><p>“Mierda,” Miles cursed softly, at the same time Peter face-palmed. “Any spottings or leads? Maybe we could wrangle him in before he gets far.”</p><p>“No,” Sisko replied grimly. “One minute he was in his cell, the next he was gone. We’re still trying to figure it out, though the main theory’s that he got through his containment unit and escaped through the power grid. Would’ve been nice if a ‘couple of <i>volunteers</i> had actually been in that area of the building.” He sent them an unimpressed look.</p><p>“We’ll...keep an eye out for him,” Miles said quickly as Peter tensed even further. “You guys got it all under wraps here?”</p><p>“Yes. Thanks. Not get moving before someone tries to arrest you.” With that, the warden walked away.</p><p>The swing back to the island was silent and tense. After traveling a little further inland, they paused to stop on a vacant rooftop. Miles watched silently as Peter began to pace agitatedly upon landing, shaking his head.</p><p>“I should’ve known to just stick closer to Dillon’s cell,” he fumed out loud, kicking an empty paint can roughly and sending it skittering away. “I was right by it, too, just before I went to go look for you!”</p><p>Miles cringed at that little detail. “I was ok on my own?”</p><p>Peter froze, whipping to face him with narrowed lenses. “Oh yeah, because stopping to talk to a member of the Sinister Six was just <i>fine</i>! What were you thinking?!”</p><p>“Uh...Ok, maybe I wasn’t,” Miles admitted sheepishly. “He just started saying all these terrible things about you, and I just— I don’t know, wanted to tell him he was wrong, I guess. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“He’s not mentally stable,” Peter replied, his voice still slightly heated. “It doesn’t matter what you could have said.” The older spider took a short breath to regain a little composure. “Did he... did he say anything else to you? Other than informing you of how much he hates my guts?”</p><p>“No,” Miles said quietly. “I didn’t tell him anything.”</p><p>“Good. If I have it my way, you’ll never have to see or talk to him again,” Peter growled softly. </p><p>Miles resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the protectiveness behind his mentor’s words. “Alright, ok. That would be fine by me.”</p><p>Peter didn’t answer that time, stopping to lean against the safety railing and gaze out over the city. Miles took the moment of stillness to tentatively approach him. He knew his mentor would never lash out or hurt him, but he could tell when someone needed a little space.</p><p>“I promise that I didn’t let anything he said get to me,” Miles said softly, leaning on the railing next to Peter. “Did <i>you</i>, though?”</p><p>Peter bowed his head briefly, remaining silent for another few seconds before replying.</p><p>“It’s my fault that he’s the way he is. Well, mentally. Not...physically.”</p><p>“How?” Miles asked, brow furrowing in concern as he stared at him. He hadn’t missed the fact that Peter had avoided his question, but he let it be.</p><p>“I was there, when he put on the arms. I didn’t even bother to <i>stay</i> and make sure he was ok, or that he would actually take them off! I should have known. He wasn’t in a good spot, and I just...left him.”</p><p>“Knowing you, if you had had any idea of what would happen, you wouldn’t have. How could you have possibly guessed?”</p><p>“It was obvious that something was wrong. We had just lost all our funding, he had all this <i>new</i> funding with no explanation, not to mention the fact that I could see that the neural net was unstable! I just... I thought he was excited. That we had finally achieved what we had set out to do with the arms, and that he was celebrating. I thought we were going to change the <i>world</i>.”</p><p>Peter shook his head again, laying a hand over his eyes. “Part of me wonders if I was just being selfish, and forcing myself <i>not</i> to see it. There was... a lot going on at the time.”</p><p>Miles didn’t have to ask what he meant by the last part.</p><p>“You can’t blame yourself for his choices,” he implored. “It’s not like you didn’t try to convince him not to fight before you took him down.” Miles paused, nudging his elbow lightly into Peter’s.
“There’s some people that don’t <i>want</i> to be saved, Pete. At some point, they’ve gotta make the decision for themselves that they’re not going to make the wrong choices in life.”</p><p>Peter sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose through the mask. “I know, I just... Can’t help thinking that if I had stayed that day and made sure he took the arms off, or even just showed up earlier for the grant committee... Things would have been different.”</p><p>“Maybe,” Miles acknowledged softly. “But we can’t dwell on those things. We just gotta keep moving forward in life, and thinking about the things we <i>can</i> change.”</p><p>Peter let out what might have been a soft chuckle at his words. “You sound very wise at the age of seventeen.”</p><p>Miles shrugged one shoulder with a small smile. “I grew up around wise people.”</p><p>“So did I, but I don’t usually have much going in the ‘wisdom’ or ‘advice’ category.”</p><p>The younger spider poked him gently. “Don’t undersell yourself. You’re great at giving advice. I would know.”</p><p>Silence fell between them for another few moments, other than the nighttime sounds of the city surrounding them. Miles eventually broke it once more, speaking in a hushed voice.</p><p>“I know Dr. Octavius changed for the worse. But if he was truly a good person before he became what he is today, I think he’d be proud of you.”</p><p>Peter let out a shaky exhale at that, then wrapped an arm around Miles’ shoulders, leaning into him.</p><p>They stayed like that for a while, watching the city glow softly beneath them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>-So in the game, I think Peter got to the raft via helicopter with Yuri. However, I am basing my knowledge on a now-patched glitch (LOL), so I made it possible for them to swing on the bridge that runs by there and then just kinda jump over. They’re athletic, they can do it!</p><p>-Also, gah, I hope I wrote Otto believably. He was supposed to be just completely lashing out at Peter, and trying to make him doubt himself. I feel like I used sooo many italics during that whole encounter, because I was trying to emphasize just how <i>angry</i> he was. Oops, there’s another italicized word lmao</p><p> Seriously, that dude’s a manipulative jerk. Great villain, 10/10 would watch Peter’s heartbreak again.</p><p>Thank you for reading :D</p><p>(EDIT: This chapter was edited as of April. I’m playing through the game again, and realized that I completely forgot about the fact that Otto was sick, and probably would not have been able to walk at this point. So, I tried to fix up this chapter to be a little more canon compliant. Honestly, I’ve made a few other small-ish (or not, depending on your opinion) mistakes regarding the canon in this fic, but this one was a pretty big issue, so I went back and tweaked it a bit.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Sleepy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We now return to the usual broadcast of cavity-inducing fluff.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Sleepy</b>
</p><p>Miles sighed as he finally wiggled the rest of the way into his suit, muttering frustratedly as he pulled the mask on crooked.</p><p>He was kind of exhausted.</p><p>School had been a nightmare lately, with papers and exams stacking up higher and higher by the day. He had barely finished his homework in time to go on patrol, and felt ready to pass out on his bed for a few hours.</p><p>It wasn’t like he could just shirk his duties, though, he told himself for the thousandth time as he climbed out the window and launched into the chilly air. He had to keep up his half of the work protecting the city. It wouldn’t be fair to Peter if he just dropped off the map. They staggered their patrols on most days, only going out together when it was convenient or needed.</p><p>Miles knew Peter had been bogged down with job interviews lately, so didn’t expect him to appear on this evening’s patrol. Which was fine. He was more than capable of dealing with the criminal goings-ons by himself.</p><p>He ended up responding to a few remedial problems through the FNSM app before tuning into the police station and responding to the more dangerous crimes.</p><p>It was only about 8pm when he paused to take a break, sighing tiredly as he ran hand over his bruised hip. His reaction time had been a little slow to the butt of a thug’s gun, and now he was feeling the effects of it.</p><p>He sat down on the edge of an apartment building, noting the plethora of tarps haphazardly tossed over a sort of lean-to that held gardening supplies. It was still frustratingly cold out, so Miles didn’t really think before slipping under the make-shift tent of reinforced fabric. The people who used it didn’t seem to be working on their rooftop garden in the dead of winter, so the likelihood of being caught seemed slim.</p><p>The shelter actually blocked out the wind quite nicely, the persistent noise of the city muted slightly by the thick material.</p><p>Miles sat on the wooden floor, letting out a soft groan and slowly slumping to the side. He didn’t think much of laying his head on the floor, curling in on himself a little to stay warm.</p><p>He would close his eyes for just five minutes, then get up and keep moving. Easy peasy...</p><p>His eyes slid shut, and his thought process fell away.</p><p>———</p><p>“...iles...”</p><p>“...M...les?”</p><p>Something gentle brushed over his head, warmth murmuring into existence from his spider-sense.</p><p>Miles hummed, stirring slightly and leaning into the tentative hand that felt like it was caressing his face almost lovingly through the mask. It faltered for a second before coming to rest lightly on his forehead, then moved away unexpectedly.</p><p>The young spider frowned at that, jumping slightly when it returned on his shoulder and shook him carefully.</p><p>“You awake?”</p><p>“No,” he sighed, hoping that he could just slip back into the blissful rest he had just been woken from. “Five more minutes...”</p><p>There was a pause, then a soft chuckle. “Hmm, I don’t know. Last time I found you asleep in the cold like this, you weren’t doing so hot. Heh. No pun intended.”</p><p>Miles finally dragged his eyes open, fixing Peter with an indignant scowl through his mask before suddenly freezing.</p><p>Wait, he wasn’t supposed to be here!</p><p>The younger spider sat bolt upright, lenses widening as the realization struck him.</p><p>“Crap, I was just taking a five minute break! How long has it <i>been?</i>”</p><p>“You’ve been in the same location for... an hour and thirteen minutes.” Peter checked the stats on his HUD. “Bit longer than five, I’m afraid.”</p><p>Miles groaned, face-palming in despair. “I’m so sorry, man, I didn’t mean to slack off on patrol. I was just... Never mind, I shouldn’t make excuses. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Hey, I’ve fallen asleep on my fair share of rooftops,” Peter informed him. “That was pretty much my MO in high school. You shouldn’t be out swinging if you’re able to pass out in a dirty shed, though. You <i>did</i> just fall asleep because you were tired, right? Not because you’re injured?”</p><p>“Yeah, I was tired,” Miles replied miserably. “School’s just been, like, really horrible lately, and I guess I haven’t been sleeping as much as I should, and then there’s this,” he gestured vaguely to his suit, “but it’s fine, I can manage it-”</p><p>Peter held up a hand to stop him there. “Come on, we’ve talked about this before,” he said not unkindly, offering Miles a hand and standing up. “You have to take it easy when school or your health is at compromise. I would happily cover more shifts for you.” Sensing Miles’ immediate protest, he added, “And if it would make you feel better, we could say you can make those patrols up to me during the summer. Or not at all. I don’t care. I just want you to succeed the best that you can.”</p><p>“I- Thanks.” Miles cut himself off before he could argue, knowing deep down that Peter was right. “I just don’t wanna let myself not take any of this seriously.”</p><p>“I have absolutely no concerns about you not taking Spider-Manning seriously.” He paused, taking in the other spider’s tired posture. “Wanna come take a break at my apartment?”</p><p>“I already took a break,” Miles reminded him, gesturing to the area around him.</p><p>“Nah, I mean a real one. With furniture and heating and everything. I might even throw in a change of clothes so you don’t have to walk around in an armored onesie.”</p><p>“Says the guy who decided the <i>uniform for this job</i> should be said onesie!”</p><p>“Hey, you try swinging around in jeans, or one of those big pretty capes the Avengers like so much. See how well it works out for you.”</p><p>Miles did eventually agree to go to Peter’s apartment, the older spider insisting that he didn’t mind if he crashed on his couch for a while. He hesitantly agreed, shooting his mom a quick text about his whereabouts before doing as his mentor had suggested and curling up on Peter’s couch. It was admittedly much nicer than laying in a flimsy rooftop structure.</p><p>“Did your interview go ok?” He asked sleepily, watching through half-lidded eyes as Peter messed around in the kitchen.</p><p>“Yeah, it was fine. I’ve still got around four more lined up, so I’m hoping at least one of them is going to accept me.” Peter replied. “Oh, there was this interesting thing I saw on the way home, though...”</p><p>The younger spider’s eyelids began to droop, and he let Peter’s voice blur into the distance, the soft lighting and familiarity of his apartment making him drowsy.</p><p>Miles hadn’t ever said so out loud, but he had found that Peter’s home was beginning to feel a little like <i>his</i> second home. It was a bit of an embarrassing sentiment, but one that he selfishly enjoyed nonetheless.</p><p>At some point he must have dozed off, because he was roused slightly by the sensation of the blanket from the back of the couch being carefully draped over him.</p><p>Miles smiled faintly as one of Peter’s hands lowered to stroke through his hair in a tender motion, making his spider-sense glow warmly.</p><p>“Go to sleep, my sweet Spiderling,” Peter teased softly, sending him a gentle smile when Miles cracked his eyes open to give him a sleepy, unimpressed look. “You’re always welcome in my web.”</p><p>“I wanna see you go one day without making a terrible spider pun,” Miles mumbled in reply, making Peter snicker.</p><p>“Might be impossible. I’ll let you know.”</p><p>Miles didn’t answer, his breathing evening out and his muscles relaxing as he slipped closer to sleep. Peter carded his fingers through his hair in a few more calming strokes before stepping away, knowing he would rest well himself with the knowledge that his spiderling was indeed wrapped safely in his home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>‘Spiderling’ may or may not be one of my favorite words now, bet you couldn’t tell ;D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Snapshot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m posting this one with a bit of a lapse in editing, so if there’s any big mistakes, I apologize.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Snapshot</b>
</p><p>“You got some pretty mad balancing skills, bro!” Miles yelled as he barely dodged the grappling hook that sailed by him. “You sure you need to be robbing banks? I think the circus might’ve been a better calling. Or window-washing! You could totally reach even the upper floors!”</p><p>“Quit yappin’!” Stilt-Man (yes, that was <i>actually</i> the name he was going with) yelled, picking up speed as he ran down the street on the weird, multi-storied mechanical tubes he wore on his feet.</p><p>“If anyone’s disrupting the peace, I’m pretty sure it might be you!” Miles yelled back, glancing down at the street below where Pete was busy webbing pedestrians out of the way. He directed his attention back to the guy’s stilts, shooting a few more clusters of webs to see if they would work in securing him.</p><p>They didn’t, just like the last three times he had tried. The stilts were coated in some sort of anti-adhesive, which was making it significantly more difficult to take this guy down.</p><p>“Gotta wonder what this guy’s inspiration was,” Peter snarked over the comms. “Did he watch <i>Empire Strikes Back</i> and decide he really needed to pursue being an AT-AT pilot as a career?”</p><p>“Guess he took note of the whole ‘tying up the legs’ weakness,” Miles sighed, swinging higher to level himself with Stilt-Man. “I’m gonna go for a different approach.”</p><p>He didn’t wait to hear Pete’s reply, launching himself forward and charging up his Venom—</p><p>Only to feel his spider-sense blare before Stilt-Man knocked him away with his extendable gloves.</p><p>In the two seconds it took Miles to regain his bearings, he was already hurtling onto the apartment rooftop they had been passing.</p><p>He gasped loudly as he realized he had fallen into <i>water</i>, flailing about until he was  upright. Something bright flashed in front of his lenses, and he startled as he became aware of the phone suddenly shoved in his face, and the cluster of people splashing and shrieking directly around him.</p><p>“Oh my God, Spider-Man just crashed in our hot tub! EEEEE!” Someone shrieked in his ear, and Miles shook his head frantically, dispelling the water from his mask as he struggled to topple out of the hot tub.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry!” he gasped as he tumbled out, barely regaining his footing before glancing back to see the chattering group excitably laughing and yelling at him.</p><p>“Did you see those selfie reflexes?! I <i>actually</i> got a picture of it!” One of them squealed.</p><p>“Only thing you should be sorry about is that you didn’t land in my lap!” Another smirked flirtatiously at him. Miles felt himself flush before he fired off a web, jumping off the roof and swinging back out onto the street.</p><p>“Pete, you there?” he asked, spotting Stilt-Man further down the street as he moved closer.</p><p>“Think I found the solution!” Peter yelled, just as Stilt-Man suddenly began to wobble precariously, stumbling about the street and making car horns blare and people shriek.</p><p>“Whoa whoa whoa! Could use some help steadying him!” Peter suddenly yelped, desperately firing webs to try and stabilize the wobbling maniac.</p><p>Miles dove straight at the villain, clinging desperately to the top of one stilt as he searched for a way to retract them.</p><p>He eventually ended up snatching what looked like a controller hanging from the unconscious villain’s belt, sighing in relied when he found the button that retracted the ridiculously tall stilts.</p><p>Stilt-Man clattered to the floor with an undignified <i>thump</i> as Miles carefully balanced him down.</p><p>He turned to Peter as he landed next to him, already beginning to shiver slightly from being soaked to the skin.</p><p>Miles gave him a shaky thumbs up. “Nailed it...”</p><p><br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>“As I’m sure most of you have seen, there’s been a bit of a <i>stir</i> on social media this week regarding a certain <i>selfie</i>—<i>Ulgh</i>—that depicted <i>Spider-Man</i> in a very <i>interesting</i> position. For those of you who aren’t <i>glued to your phones</i>—Which, may I commend you if you’re not—I will be <i>happy</i> to describe it.”</p><p>There was a second of silence in which Jameson paused dramatically before delivering his interpretation.</p><p>“It shows Spider-Man LOUNGING about in a HOT TUB with BIKINI CLAD ‘BABES!’ Let me ask you this, ladies and gentleman: When you picture a supposedly <i>honorable</i> hero—a word which is the very <i>antonym</i> of ‘Spider-Man’!—is the first image that comes to mind one of him shamelessly <i>throwing</i> himself into the laps of whatever <i>floozies</i> he can get his disgustingly sticky hands on?! Somehow, I think NOT!</p><p>“Well, It seems—and note the <i>shock</i> in my voice—that ‘<i>Spidey Jr.</i>’ has taken very well after his <i>predecessor</i> with his perverted exploitation of our open windows and rooftops! We’ve already had their voyeuristic stares infiltrating the walls of our apartments; apartments that are meant to be PRIVATE homes! And <i>now</i> here we are again, questioning where <i>exactly</i> the line will be crossed next time! I don’t know about you, but I do <i>not</i> want some perverted <i>stranger</i> suddenly deciding he is entitled to jump into <i>my</i> hot tub! Lock up your daughters! A second spider-pervert walks among us!”</p><p><br/>
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<hr/><p><b>BKLYNSpider42:</b> Ok, given the current state of affairs, I feel like it’s pretty necessary to clarify: I did NOT mean to get in that hot tub! I was knocked into it by a crazy guy on stilts. Don’t believe me? Look it up on YouTube!</p><p><b>PlumeOnTheWind: @BKLYNSpider42</b> Accident or not, I wouldn’t say no to you swinging by my hot tub any day of the week ;D</p><p>
  <b>HazilyLoam: @BKLYNSpider42</b> Yeah, right. As if posing with a bunch of half naked people is ever an *accident.*</p><p><b>BerryBerryHappyy: @BKLYNSpider42</b> It’s ok spidey! I could totally see how that sorta thing would happen in a big fight like that!
</p><p><b>BennySlickTricks: @BKLYNSpider42:</b> My man, your pick up game has gotta be dope. Any tips for us non-spiderhunks?</p><p><b>KennyP: @BKLYNSpider42</b> What you see as a public embarrassment, I see as unlimited meme potential. Get ready to see these photoshop skillz in action, baby!</p><p>
  <b>NYCWallCrawler: @BKLYNSpider42</b> If it’s any consolation, I’ve had much more embarrassing accidents than this. No one will remember it in a week</p><p><b>F_Waters: @NYCWallCrawler</b> You mean like that time you fell down that manhole? Or that time you got hit in the face with a drone? Ooh! Or that time someone got a pic of you and Black Cat making out upside down outside their apartment?</p><p><b>NYCWallCrawler: @F_Waters</b> ...You keeping a scrapbook or something?</p><p><b>F_Waters: @NYCWallCrawler</b> I deny any and all allegations.</p><p><b>NYCWallCrawler: @PlumeOnTheWind</b> Very bold of you to assume that <b>@BKLYNSpider42</b> is not a minor, and needs to be hit on -_-</p><p><b>KennyP: @BKLYNSpider42</b> <i>*Attached image*</i> Behold. My photoshop masterpiece. I call it... “Spider-Man Dives In.”</p><p><b>BKLYNSpider42: @NYCWallCrawler</b>...How do I delete all of social media</p><p><b>NYCWallCrawler: @BKLYNSpider42</b> Good question, let me know if you ever figure it out</p><p><br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Definitely had a lot of fun writing this one! All the social media usernames are from the games, I just picked some random ones.</p><p>Also, hearing JJJ’s crazy podcasts was extremely entertaining throughout both games, so I definitely wanted to include that :D</p><p>And also, Stilt-Man is an actual thing. I think Big Wheel might have some legitimate competition for being the most ridiculous Spider-Man villain lmao</p>
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